MXA蛋白抑制HBV复制的体外研究

目的研究MXA蛋白抑制HBV复制的活性。方法将pcDNA3．1-MXA重组质粒和PU19-1．24HBV重组质粒分别按1：1、2：1共转染HepG2细胞（MXA组），对照组使用空pcDNA3．1、Salon DNA和PU19-1．24HBV重组质粒共转染，3d后Western blot检测MXA蛋白表达，Abbott法检测细胞上清HBeAg和HBsAg分泌量，定量PCR检测上清和胞内HBV DNA水平，统计学分析结果。pcDNA3．1-MXA与PU19-1．24HBV重组质粒共转染HepG2细胞，对照组为pcDNA3．1-MXA重组质粒、PU19空质粒和Salon DNA共转染．3d后裂解细胞Western blot检测MXA蛋白表达。结果Western blot显示MXA组有MXA蛋白表达：与对照组相比，pcDNA3．1-MXA和PU19—1．24HBV重组质粒按1：1转染时，MXA组HBeAg下降27％．上清HBV DNA和细胞内HBV DNA分别下降1个log值和0．6个log值；按2：1比例转染时MXA组HBeAg较对照组下降66％，上清HBV DNA和细胞内HBV DNA水平分别下降1．9个和1．7个log值，差异均具有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。Western blot检测显示MXA蛋白抑制HBV组与对照组MXA蛋白表达没有明显差别。结论MXA蛋白在HepG2细胞具有抑制HBV复制活性，抑制活性与蛋白的表达量相关；在抑制HBV复制过程中MXA蛋白自身可能不发生降解。     

Vasoactive intestinal peptide and bipolar affective illness. Evidence for an effect of lithium

In an attempt to evaluate the role of VIP in affective disorder, measurements of lymphocyte VIP receptors, and plasma and CSF VIP levels were made in unmedicated and lithium-treated euthymic bipolars and controls. Lithium decreased plasma (P = 0.01) and CSF (P = 0.05) VIP levels and increased the affinity (decreased the KD) of the VIP lymphocyte receptor (P less than 0.01). This effect may be relevant to the psychotropic action of lithium in manic-depressive illness.     

Potential role of B7-1 and CD28 molecules in immunosuppression in leprosy

In order to understand the mechanism of unresponsiveness towards Mycobacterium leprae antigens in leprosy, we evaluated the role of M. leprae sonicate antigens in regulating the expression of the costimulatory molecules B7-1, CD28, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), LFA-1α, LFA-1β and Mac-1 on the lymphocytes of both leprosy patients and healthy subjects. It was observed that the expression of B7-1 and CD28 was significantly decreased but the levels of ICAM-1 and LFA-1α were increased in patients with untreated borderline leprosy (BL)/lepromatous leprosy (LL) disease. No remarkable change was noticed in the case of borderline tuberculoid (BT) leprosy or treated BL/LL patients. Further, a striking finding was that lymphocytes from healthy subjects cultured with a particularly high dose of M. leprae sonicate antigens down-regulated the expression of B7-1 and CD28 molecules, but up-regulated the display of ICAM-1 and LFA-1α. Furthermore, proliferation induced by M. leprae sonicate was inhibited only by anti-B7-1 antibody. Mycobacterium leprae antigen-induced suppression of the proliferation of lymphocytes of healthy volunteers and LL patients was reversed by culturing the lymphocytes with purified protein derivative (PPD). It may be concluded from the findings in this study that down regulation of B7-1 and CD28 in BL/LL leprosy patients may be responsible for a defective T cell signalling by the B7-1/CD28 pathway caused by M. leprae antigens. This may lead to clonal inactivation of M. leprae-reactive T cells, consequently the bacilli grow without restriction in macrophages.     

Alteration of E-cadherin-mediated adhesion protein is common,but microsatellite instability is uncommon in young age gastric cancers

AIMS: Gastric adenocarcinoma in young patients has been considered to differ in many ways from gastric carcinoma in older patients. This study was designed to determine the clinicopathological features and molecular mechanisms. METHODS AND RESULTS: Based on 4123 patients of gastric cancer in Seoul National University Hospital, 135 patients (3.3%) were chosen by the age of 30 years or younger. Expression of E-cadherin, beta-catenin, p53 and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was analysed using the tissue array method in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens and microsatellite instability (MSI) was determined. As a control, 320 cases of older patients were compared. Gastric adenocarcinoma of young patients revealed significant female predominance, type IV gross type, proximal location, diffuse type and frequent lymph node metastasis. In-situ hybridization for EBV showed higher positivity in young patients (9/78, 11.5%) than in older ones, but not statistically significant. In EBV+ cases, p53 over-expression was significantly higher in young patients than older patients (P < 0.05). Alteration of E-cadherin or beta-catenin was significantly higher in younger patients than in older patients (P < 0.05). Overall survival was significantly poorer in younger patients than older ones. The frequency of MSI was rare (1.3%, P < 0.05) in young patients compared with older patients (9.3%). CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that gastric adenocarcinoma of young patients has a poor prognosis, possesses aggressive histopathological features, exhibits reduced expression of E-cadherin and beta-catenin, and demonstrates lower MSI than tumours in older patients.     

The latent membrane protein-1 in Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphoblastoid cells is found with ubiquitin-protein conjugates and heat-shock protein 70 in lysosomes oriented around the microtubule organizing centre.

Immunofluorescence studies on Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed lymphoblastoid cells have previously shown that the latent membrane transforming protein (LMP-1) is found in patch-like inclusions which also immunostain for vimentin. We now show that EBV transformation causes a major reorganization of intermediate filaments, microtubules, mitochondria, and lysosomal elements, which generally become oriented around the microtubule organizing centre. Immunogold electron microscopy shows that LMP-1 is primarily concentrated in secondary lysosomes together with ubiquitin-protein conjugates and heat-shock protein 70. Intermediate filament inclusion formation with the above characteristics may be a general response triggered by other membrane glycoproteins; as seen, for example, in major human neurodegenerative diseases such as diffuse Lewy body disease.     

Simplified preparation of rabbit Fab fragments

Papain attached to solid-phase CH-Sepharose 4B was used to digest rabbit IgG. Protein A-Sepharose CL-4B was used to remove undigested IgG and Fc fragments. Pure Fab fragments free of IgG, Fc fragments and papain were readily obtained by this procedure with a yield of about 75%. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the Fab in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate gave a single band under both reducing and non-reducing conditions. The molecular weight of the Fab determined by sedimentation equilibrium was 49,200. Unlike the IgG, the Fab obtained did not form precipitin lines when used in immunoelectrophoresis.     

Polyamines in Trichomonas vaginalis

Trichomonas vaginalis was grown in a modified Bushby's medium and putrescine, spermidine and spermine levels were determined in extracts from 24- and 48-h cultures and also in the culture media. All three polyamines were present in T. vaginalis extracts; the putrescine level and putrescine/spermidine ratio were much higher than those reported for other protozoa or for mammalian tissues. There were no significant differences between 24-h and 48-h amine levels per mg protein in these extracts, but amine levels per cell were higher at 24 than at 48 h. The spent culture media had a much higher putrescine content than corresponding uninoculated media and it was concluded that T. vaginalis secreted putrescine into the culture medium.     

Dissociated antibody responses to the S and pre-S2 regions of the hepatitis B virus after vaccination in hemophiliacs

The membranes of hepatocytes and the pre-S2 envelope protein of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) contain binding sites for polymerized human albumin, which is thought to act as a link between HBV and hepatocytes. Hence, anti-pre-S2 antibodies should prevent HBV uptake by the liver, and there is indeed preliminary evidence that they protect chimpanzees from HBV infection. To evaluate whether a plasma-derived vaccine containing the pre-S2 sequence induced an anti-pre-S2 response in 105 vaccinated hemophiliacs, anti-pre-S2 was measured in parallel with antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs). Eighty-five percent of the hemophiliacs had both anti-pre-S2 and anti-HBs when vaccination was completed, 13% had anti-HBs alone, and 2% (two cases) had anti-pre-S2 alone. Eighty-seven percent of anti-pre-S2-positive hemophiliacs compared with only 50% of anti-pre-S2-negative hemophiliacs (P less than 0.001) developed high anti-HBs titers (greater than or equal to 1,000 mlU/ml). This study demonstrates, therefore, that the antibody responses to the S and pre-S2 regions of HBV may be dissociated after vaccination in hemophiliacs and that higher anti-HBs titers are attained in anti-pre-S2-positive hemophiliacs.     

Behavioral treatment of nocturnal enuresis in children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Examined whether a well-established treatment program for functional enuresis, the urine alarm procedure, would be useful for children with both enuresis and diabetes. 5 children between the ages of 7 and 14 whose pretreatment physical examination suggested no neurological impairment were treated. A multiple baseline design across children indicated that the urine alarm procedure was successful in stopping enuretic episodes for all 5 children with treatment gains maintained for the 4 children available for assessment at 2-month follow-up. These results suggest that if no diabetes-related organic impairment is evident, behavioral treatment for enuresis can be beneficial for children with diabetes.