Lymphokine activated killer cells in murine coxsackievirus B3 myocarditis

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether lymphokine activated killer (LAK) cells were involved in the development of coxsackievirus B3 (CB3) myocarditis in both the acute viremic (Experiment I) and the subacute aviremic (Experiment II) stages. To induce LAK cells, recombinant human interleukin-2 (IL-2) was administered to CB3-infected mice subcutaneously daily, starting on day 0 in Experiment I and on day 7 in Experiment II for 7 days, respectively. The treated groups were compared to infected controls. Splenic lymphocytes of IL-2 treated mice were further cultured in vitro in IL-2 containing medium for 7 days, and LAK cell activity, i.e., cytotoxic activity of the lymphocytes against EL-4 tumor cells and against cultured fetal myocytes, was assayed by⁵¹Cr-release method. In Experiment I, histologic scores, myocardial virus titers, and LAK cell activity did not differ significantly between IL-2 treated and untreated groups. In contrast, in Experiment II, there were more cellular infiltration associated with severe necrosis and higher LAK cell activity against EL-4 cells and cultured myocytes in IL-2 treated than in untreated groups. The presence of LAK cells was demonstrated in the subacute stage of murine CB3 myocarditis. Thus, the behavior of LAK cell activity may vary with the course of myocarditis, and enhanced LAK cell activity may be involved in the development of the disease.This work was supported by research grants from the Conference on Coronary Artery Disease, Japanese Education of Science and Walfare (Nos. 08877110 and 09470164), Kanae Shinyaku Foundation, and Japan Cardiovascular Research Foundation.     

羟乙基淀粉对内毒素感染大鼠肺部毛细血管通透性的影响

目的 观察羟乙基淀粉(HES 200/0.5)对内毒素感染大鼠肺部毛细血管通透性的影响。方法 雄性Wistar大鼠42只随机分为对照组,内毒素组(LPS,6 mg/kg),LPS HES组(HES,3.75、7.5、15、30ml/kg)及HES对照组(30ml/kg)。分别于LPS注入后4 h检测肺组织毛细血管通透性、肺湿干重比、肺组织中性粒细胞(PMN)浸润,2 h检测肺组织核转录因子kappaB(NF-κB)水平。结果3.75 ml/kg和7.5 ml/kg HES显著降低肺毛细血管通透性、湿干重比和PMN浸润(P<0.05),3.75、7.5和15 ml/kgHES显著降低肺NF-κB活性(P<0.05)。结论较低剂量HES具有抑制感染状念下毛细血管漏的作用,这种作用的产生可能与其降低肺组织PMN浸润、抑制核转录因子NF-κB有关。     

慢性乙肝患者血清细胞因子、乙肝病毒与肝纤维化的关系

目的：探讨慢性乙肝患血清细胞因子（TGF－β，TNF-α，IL-6，IL-8），乙肝病毒（HBV）对肝纤维化（HA，PCⅢ，C-Ⅳ，LN）的影响作用。方法：采用ELISA和RIA方法检测171例慢性乙肝患血清TGF－β，TNF-α，IL-6，IL-8，HLA，PCǚ，C-Ⅳ，LN的水平，HBV－DNA定量检测采用PCR方法。结果：慢性乙肝患血清TGF－β，TNF-α，IL-6，IL-8，HA，PCⅢ，C-Ⅳ，LN的含量均不同程度高于对照组，且随肝损害程度的加重而升高，与肝损害程度呈正相关关系（P＜0．05或P＜0．01）；须血清TGF－β1水平与血清HA，PCⅢ，C-Ⅳ，LN水平具有直线相关关系。HBV－DNA阳性组（Ⅱ组）均高于HBV－DNA阴性组（I组），且在慢性中，重度肝炎间差异显（P＜0．05）。结论：血清TGF－β，TNF-α，IL-6，IL-8参与慢性乙肝的发病机制及肝纤维化的形成，且与病毒复制的活跃程度相关。     

荧光定量PCR和ELISA检测乙肝病毒的应用比较

目的　探讨荧光定量PCR检测HBV—DNA的应用价值。　方法　从 2 92 0份用ELISA检测乙肝 5项的体检血清标本中 ,抽取 2 88份HBsAg阳性标本及 10 0份全阴标本 ,进行荧光定量聚合酶链式反应 (FQ—PCR)HBV—DNA定量分析。　结果　经FQ—PCR检测 ,80份HBsAg、HBeAg、HBcAb都阳性的标本 ,HBV—DNA阳性率为 10 0 % ( 80 /80 ) ,平均HBV—DNA拷贝数为 2 2× 10 8cp/ml ;164份HBsAg、HbeAb、HBcAb都阳性的标本 ,HBV—DNA阳性率为79 3 % ( 13 0 /164 ) ,平均HBV—DNA拷贝数为 1 5× 10 6cp/ml;12份HBsAg单项阳性的标本 ,HBV—DNA的阳性率为83 3 % ( 10 /12 ) ,平均HBV—DNA拷贝数为 1 6× 10 5cp/ml;10 0份HBsAg、HBsAb、HBeAg、HBeAb、HBcAb都阴性的标本 ,HBV—DNA的阳性率为 2 % ( 2 /10 0 ) ,平均HBV—DNA拷贝数为 4 5× 10 5cp/ml。　结论　FQ—PCR可以检测HBV的感染和复制情况 ,对准确报告HBV感染 ,指导其选择治疗方案和观察疗效具有重要的临床意义     

A clinical and genetic study of 56 Saudi Wilson disease patients: identification of Saudi-specific mutations

Wilson disease (WD) is a hereditary disorder, with recessive transmission and genetic heterogeneity. Several mutations of ATP7B, the gene underlying WD, were reported in many ethnic groups. In this study, mutation screening in ATP7B of 56 Saudi Arabian WD patients was undertaken. The clinical data of all patients were recorded. The entire ATP7B coding sequence, including intron-exon boundaries were screened for mutation by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based mutation detection technique and DNA sequencing. Thirty-nine patients were symptomatic at presentation and 17 subjects were pre-symptomatic siblings of affected patients. Fourteen patients had neurological, 11 patients had mixed (hepatic and neurological), and 14 patients had hepatic presentations. Family history suggestive of WD was present in 72% of cases and 68% had consanguineous parents. Genetic analysis showed disease-causing mutations in three exons (exons 8, 19 and 21) of the ATP7B gene in 28 patients (50%). Mutations in exons 21 (18 cases) and 19 (one case) were unique for Saudis. This large series of Saudi patients with WD has shown wide variability in the genomic substrate of WD. There is no correlation between genotype and clinical presentation.     

异氟醚控制性降压对颅内动脉瘤夹闭术血中S100B含量的影响

目的　测定颅内动脉瘤夹闭前后血中S1 0 0B蛋白含量 ,研究异氟醚控制性降压对脑功能的影响。方法　择期颅内动脉瘤夹闭术病人 30例 ,ASAⅠ～Ⅱ级 ,随机分为两组 :异氟醚降压组 (n=1 5 )和异氟醚非降压组 (n =1 5 )。非降压组术中吸入 1MAC异氟醚维持麻醉。降压组行异氟醚控制性降压 ,平均动脉压下降幅度 30 %～ 4 0 % ,夹闭动脉瘤后降低异氟醚吸入浓度 ,终止降压。分别于切皮前、动脉瘤夹闭后即刻、2、4h、术后第 1、2天取血测定S1 0 0B蛋白含量 ,并于术后 1周随访病人 ,记录有无术后神经系统并发症。结果　 (1 )异氟醚降压后 30min平均动脉压由诱导前的 (95 2± 1 2 3)mmHg降至 (5 8 8± 5 4 )mmHg ,停止降压后 30min血压回升至 (75 1± 8 3)mmHg。降压后外周血管阻力及心肌收缩加速度下降 ,但心率及心输出量均无显著性变化 ;(2 )异氟醚降压组与非降压组间同一时间点血中S1 0 0B蛋白浓度无明显差异。降压组术后第 1天及第 2天血中S1 0 0B蛋白浓度均显著升高 (F =2 94 4 ,P =0 0 1 8)。结论　在颅内动脉瘤夹闭术中应用异氟醚控制性降压可能加重了术后脑损伤 ,不利于病人围麻醉期脑功能的保护     

荧光偏振检测HBV DNA C区BCP双突变

目的：建立简便、灵敏的HBV DNA序列中BCP双突变点的检测方法．方法：采用终点终止法和偏振光检测技术进行点突变的检测．首先对HBV C区基因进行PCR扩增，然后用特异探针与扩增产物中待测核苷酸的下游序列杂交，使探针的3’端可以在DNA聚合酶的催化下，依据其互补链上的待测核苷酸连接上一个标有特定荧光素的ddNTP，然后检测该3’端带有荧光素的探针，根据检测到的荧光素种类和偏振光的强度可以判定待测点是何种核苷酸．结果：该方法可以检测出HBV基因序列中BCP双突变核苷酸类型以及检测1个拷贝的模板，并且可以从BCP野性株DNA序列中检出5％BCP双突变DNA序列．结论：该技术可以检测血清中HBV DNA C区BCP双突变．     

共刺激分子B7在移植免疫中的研究现状及展望

B7家族成员是最重要的共刺激分子,其中对B7-1、B7-2分子的研究最为深入,近年来,该家族中B7-H1、B7-H2、B7-H3、B7-DC、B7-H4等新成员也被陆续发现,其作用机制主要是为T细胞活化提供所需的正性和负性共刺激信号,通过复杂的网络平衡作用决定最终的免疫效应。随着器官移植的迅速发展,诱导对移植物的特异性耐受成为解决移植排斥的重要途径,正性共刺激通路B7CD28通路、B7-H2ICOS通路、B7-H3通路的过度活化,以及负性共刺激通路B7CT-LA-4通路、B7-H1、B7-DCPD-1通路、B7-H4BTLA通路的发现,在移植免疫中意义尤为突出。     

Inhibition of hepatitis B virus DNA replicative intermediate forms by recombinant interferon-γ

AIM: To evaluate the in vitro anti-HBV activity of recombinant human IFN-γ, alone and in combination with lamivudine. METHODS: A recombinant baculovirus-HBV/HepG2 culture system was developed which could support productive HBV infection in vitro. Expression of HBsAg and HBeAg in infected HepG2 culture medium was detected by commercial enzyme immunoassays. HBV DNA replication intermediates were detected in infected cells by Southern hybridization and viral DNA load was determined by dot hybridization. RESULTS: IFN-γat 0.1 to 5μg/L efficiently down regulated HBsAg expression in transduced HepG2 cells. At 5μg/L, IFN-γalso suppressed HBV DNA replication in these cells. While treatment with a combination of lamivudine and IFN-γshowed no additive effect, sequential treatment first with lamivudine and then IFN-γwas found to be promising. In this culture system the best HBV suppression was observed with a pulse of 2μmol/L lamivudine for two days, followed by 1μg/L IFN-γfor another four days. Compared to treatment with lamivudine alone, the sequential use of 0.2μmol/L lamivudine for two days, followed by 5μg/L IFN-γfor six days showed a 72% reduction in HBV cccDNA pool. CONCLUSION: This in vitro study warrants further evaluation of a combination of IFN-γand lamivudine, especially in IFN-αnon-responder chronic hepatitis B patients. A reduced duration of lamivudine treatment would also restrict the emergence of drug-resistant HBV mutants.     

An Unusual Form of Skin Tuberculosis Following B.C.G. Vaccination

A 25-year-old female has had brown to erythematous telangiectatic patches and grouped papules on her face, neck, arm, and trunk since childhood following B.C.G. vaccination. Histopathologically, the lesions consisted of hyperkeratosis, slight acanthosis, tuberculoid granulomas with some Langerhans type giant cells in the mid-dermis. Although various forms of cutaneous tuberculosis after B.C.G. vaccination have been reported, it was difficult for us to assign the patient's skin lesion to any specific disease entity. Remission of her cutaneous lesions occurred clinically and histopathologically after treatment with isoniazid and rifampin.