牛磺酸对大鼠肢体缺血再灌注后肺损伤时细胞凋亡的影响

目的:从细胞凋亡的角度探讨肢体缺血再灌注(LIR)后急性肺损伤(ALI)的发病机制及牛磺酸的影响。方法:复制大鼠肢体缺血再灌注(LIR)损伤动物模型,采用TUNEL法、电泳法、半定量逆转录聚合酶链反应(SqRT-PCR)及免疫组织化学等技术观察LIR后肺损伤发生过程中,肺泡上皮及血管内皮细胞凋亡变化以及Fas/FasL系统蛋白质和mRNA表达的改变。结果:大鼠LIR后,肺泡上皮细胞和肺血管内皮细胞凋亡明显增加;肺组织Fas/FasLmRNA和蛋白质表达明显上调,DNA断链率、组织钙含量和活性氧(ROS)升高,且与肺泡上皮及血管内皮细胞凋亡的增加相一致。结论:肺泡上皮及血管内皮细胞凋亡以及Fas/FasL系统表达明显上调可能参与LIR后ALI的发生;牛磺酸可减少肺组织细胞凋亡,但并非通过影响Fas/FasL基因表达而实现其保护效应。     

Crouzon综合征基因突变检测

目的 研究1个Crouzon综合征家系及1例散发的Crouzon综合征患者的成纤维生长因子受体2(fibroblast growth factors receptor 2,FGFR2)基因突变情况.方法 在1个Crouzon综合征家系的10名成员,和另一例散发者的外周血提取基因组DNA,PCR扩增FGFR2基因的第8和10外显子(部分家族成员仅扩增第8外显子),产物纯化后直接进行DNA测序检测突变.结果 家系中3名成员及另1例散发者FGFR2基因第8外显子的833位核苷酸发生G→T的转换突变,该突变为错义突变,使该位点所编码的氨基酸由半胱氨酸变为苯丙氨酸(C278F).该突变为杂合子突变.结论 FGFR2基因突变是Crouzon综合征致病原因.     

子宫畸形患者HOXA13基因同源结构域分析

目的探讨中国子宫畸形患者中HOXA13基因同源结构域是否存在突变及其相关性分析。方法国外文献报道手-足-生殖器综合征（hand-foot-genital syndrome,HFGS）患者中发现HOXA13基因2号外显子同源结构域存在点突变,而此综合征的女性患者部分症状表现为子宫畸形,因此对58例中国子宫畸形患者和54例正常对照者进行HOXA13基因同源结构域检测,PCR扩增目的片断后自动化测序分析基因2号外显子同源结构域区域。结果HOXA13基因同源结构域直接自动化测序分析结果显示,在患者和对照者中均没有突变发生。结论中国妇女子宫畸形的发生可能与HOXA13基因同源结构域突变无关。     

A case of broken bones and systems: The threat of irresponsible testimony

A 2‐month‐old healthy baby presented to the emergency room with an arm that was not moving and was found to have multiple and extensive fractures of her long bones. An extensive medical work‐up was done, and the hospital's multidisciplinary child abuse team was consulted, including child protection, genetics, radiology, and general pediatrics. It was determined that the history, clinical findings, radiographic findings, and laboratory findings were consistent with child abuse. Child protection services removed the child from the home, and for the next 10 months, the infant was well, and did not sustain a single new fracture. At a civil proceeding to determine the infant's custody, an expert witness for the defense concluded that the child had hypermobile Ehlers‐Danlos syndrome and low vitamin D. He stated that because of these conditions, the baby was vulnerable to fractures with routine handling. This is a personal story of a clinical geneticist who explored fracture fact versus fracture fiction and learned about the difference between responsible and irresponsible testimony. This story gives insight into how physicians can prepare to transition from the clinic to the courtroom. It is also a story about how medical experts must and should remain unbiased, evidence‐based, and committed to accuracy and truth.     

Differentiating molecular etiologies of Angelman syndrome through facial phenotyping using deep learning

Angelman syndrome (AS) is caused by several genetic mechanisms that impair the expression of maternally‐inherited UBE3A through deletions, paternal uniparental disomy (UPD), UBE3A pathogenic variants, or imprinting defects. Current methods of differentiating the etiology require molecular testing, which is sometimes difficult to obtain. Recently, computer‐based facial analysis systems have been used to assist in identifying genetic conditions based on facial phenotypes. We sought to understand if the facial‐recognition system DeepGestalt could find differences in phenotype between molecular subtypes of AS. Images and molecular data on 261 individuals with AS ranging from 10 months through 32 years were analyzed by DeepGestalt in a cross‐validation model with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves generated. The area under the curve (AUC) of the ROC for each molecular subtype was compared and ranked from least to greatest differentiable phenotype. We determined that DeepGestalt demonstrated a high degree of discrimination between the deletion subtype and UPD or imprinting defects, and a lower degree of discrimination with the UBE3A pathogenic variants subtype. Our findings suggest that DeepGestalt can recognize subclinical differences in phenotype based on etiology and may provide decision support for testing.     

The Costello syndrome: Are nasal papillomata essential?

Summary Two patients with the Costello syndrome are presented. One was a 7-year-old girl with a history of infantile hypotonia and feeding difficulties. The other was a 3 5/12-year-old boy with a history of neonatal sepsis and respiratory problems. Both had relative macrocephaly at birth, curly hair, large ear lobes, epicanthic folds, a low nasal bridge, thick lips, a short and wide nose, a short neck, a barrel chest, redundant skin, tight Achilles tendons, and pes equinovarus. Nasal papillomata, as described in Costello's two patients, were absent in both patients. Borochowitzet al. (1992) described five patients with what we interpreted as the Costello syndrome but without nasal papillomata. In view of these findings, nasal papillomata are not likely to be essential in the diagnosis of the Costello syndrome.     

普乐可复对难治性肾病综合征患者血清IL-2、sIL-2R的影响及其临床意义

目的:研究普乐可复(FK506)对难治性肾病综合征患者血清IL-2、sIL-2R的影响及其临床意义。方法:应用酶联免疫吸附法检测难治性肾病综合征患者经普乐可复治疗前后血清IL-2、sIL-2R水平变化,并监测患者24小时尿蛋白、血浆白蛋白、血脂的变化。结果:难治性肾病综合征患者经普乐可复治疗前血清IL-2、sIL-2R水平均显著高于正常对照组(P<0.05)。治疗后血清IL-2、sIL-2R水平较治疗前明显下降(P<0.05)。治疗前24小时尿蛋白水平显著高于正常对照组(P<0.01),血浆白蛋白显著低于正常对照组(P<0.01),血脂水平显著高于正常对照组(P<0.01);与治疗前比较,治疗后24小时尿蛋白水平显著下降(P<0.05),血浆白蛋白水平显著升高(P<0.01),血脂水平显著下降(P<0.05)。治疗后组与正常组比较,除IL-2外,余各项指标均无显著性差异(P>0.05)。结论:在难治性肾病综合征患者体内存在IL-2、sIL-2R的异常,普乐可复对其有明确的抑制作用,从而调节T细胞活性,有效降低24小时尿蛋白,提高血浆白蛋白含量,降血脂,缓解难治性肾病综合征的病情。     

重组人干扰素α-2b鼻腔喷雾剂预防治疗恒河猴感染SARS-CoV的试验研究

目的评价重组人干扰素α-2b鼻腔喷雾剂对恒河猴感染SARS-CoV的预防治疗作用。方法采用鼻腔喷雾法(剂量为60万单位/鼻孔)研究了重组人干扰素α-2b鼻腔喷雾剂对感染SARS-CoV的恒河猴预防治疗效果。结果试验组(5只)和对照组(5只)相同时间检测的咽拭子等标本中,Real-time PCR检测和病毒分离均未检出病毒。攻毒后病毒导致机体产生的中和抗体和IgG抗体的反应也较对照组弱。血液学指标检测结果表明试验组动物攻毒后各项指标较试验前比较没有显著性改变;病理结果显示试验组2只恒河猴肺组织形态基本正常,其余3只猴有肺间质性炎,表现肺间隔增厚、单核样细胞为主的炎细胞浸润,其中1只增厚的肺间隔有局灶相互融合,这3只猴肺部病变与对照组的病变表现相似,且病变累及范围较对照组小;其他各受检脏器均未见明显异常。结论重组人干扰素α-2b鼻腔喷雾剂可以有效阻断或减弱SARS-CoV对恒河猴的感染。