Filaggrin repeat number polymorphism is associated with a dry skin phenotype

Profilaggrin is a key epidermal protein, critical for the generation and maintenance of the stratum corneum barrier. It is encoded by a gene located in the epidermal differentiation complex of Chromosome 1q21 and is composed of multiple filaggrin repeats connected by highly conserved linker peptides. Within the human population the number of filaggrin repeats encoded by this gene varies between 10, 11 or 12 repeats. Using a PCR-based approach we have determined individual profilaggrin allelotypes in a group of 113 subjects and identified preliminary evidence of an inverse association between the 12 repeat allele and self-perceived frequent dry skin (P=0.0293). This is the first demonstration of a potential association between a genetic marker and cosmetic skin condition and suggests that cosmetic skin dryness may in part be genetically determined and associated with specific profilaggrin allelotypes.     

HTLV III antibodies and immunological alterations in hemophilia patients

Summary The clinical, immunological, and serological status of 28 patients with hemophilia A and of 13 patients with hemophilia B was investigated. Thirty-four patients were treated regularly by clotting factor concentrates and 7 patients had been substituted only 1 to 4 times. Almost all patients with severe hemophilia suffered from hepatopathy. No patient had clinical evidence of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrom (AIDS).Asymptomatic hemophiliacs showed a decreased number of T-helper (OKT 4) cells and an increased number of T-suppressor (OKT 8) cells, which resulted in an inversed OKT 4/OKT 8 cell ratio. Natural killer cell activity of all patients was decreased compared to controls. After culture there was no significant difference of NK cell activity between hemophiliacs and controls. This phenomen was interpreted as a possible maturation defect of NK-cells in vivo.No relationship between immunological alterations and hepatopathy, hepatitis markers, CMV antibodies, amount and source of required factor concentrates, and the kind of hemophilia was observed. IgG immunoglobulins were higher and the OKT 4/OKT 8 ratio lower in the eight patients with lymphadenopathy than in patients without lymphadenopathy. The prevalence of antibodies to human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV III) was measured in 35 hemophiliacs and in 25 polytransfused patients, most of whom were suffering from acute leukemia. In 8 of 35 hemophiliacs antibodies to HTLV III virus were detected by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and confirmatory tests. All seropositive patients were treated by blood products from the United States. Eight hemophiliacs treated by factor concentrates from German donors only were seronegative. In comparison 2 of 25 examined non-hemophilia patients receiving multiple blood products from local donors were seropositive for HTLV III. The results show that hemophilia patients treated by imported clotting factor concentrates have a high risk of HTLV III positivity. Hemophiliacs substituted by blood products obtained by local donor pools have only a small risk of infection. Because non-hemophiliac polytransfused patients had HTLV III antibodies, there must be asymptomatic virus carriers in the local donor pool. The HTLV III antibody screening of all donors and the heat treating of factor concentrates will give better therapeutic safety.Abbreviations AIDS Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome - ALT Alanin-Aminotransferase - Anti-HBc Antibody to hepatitis B core antigen - Anti-HBs Antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen - AST Aspartat-Aminotransferase - CMV Cytomegaly virus - EBV Epstein-Barr-virus - EDTA Ethylendiamintetraacetate - ELISA Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay - -GT Gamma-Glutamyl-Transferase - HBsAg Hepatitis B surface antigen - HLA Human Leukocyte Antigen - HTLV III Human T-lymphotropic virus - IL-2 Interleukin 2 - IPS Immune peroxidase staining - LDH Lactat-Dehydrogenase - LGL Large granular lymphocyte - LU₃₀ Lytic units - MNC Mononuclear cells - NK Natural Killer cells - OKT 3 Total T-cells - OKT 4 T-helper cells - OKT 8 T-suppressor cells     

先天性心脏病患儿的免疫功能状态

目的：先天性心脏疾病(CHD)患儿易发生感染,有作者认为CHD可能是DiGeorge综合征(DGS)的一部分,CHD患儿对感染的易感性与其存在不同程度的免疫缺陷有关。本文探讨CHD患儿有无免疫功能缺陷,结合文献讨论CHD与DGS的关系。方法：通过胸部X片回顾性观察因患肺炎而住院的72例单纯性和34例复杂性CHD新生儿胸腺影的大小,50例同日龄肺炎新生儿作为对照。检测28例学龄前期CHD患儿外周血淋巴细胞亚群、淋巴细胞增殖功能及外周血单个核细胞(PBMC)白细胞介素-4(IL-4)和干扰素-γ(IFN-γ)mRNA表达情况及培养上清中IL-4和IFN-γ水平,血浆IgG、IgA、IgM及C3水平。20例同年龄健康儿童作为对照。结果：所有新生儿胸片均可见到胸腺影,单纯性和复杂性CHD新生儿胸腺影大小与肺炎新生儿比较差异均无显著性(P>0.05);学龄前期CHD患儿外周血CD3+,CD4+,CD8+,CD19+及CD16+CD56+T细胞和CD4+/CD8+与对照组差异无显著性(P>0.05);血浆免疫球蛋白及C3水平与对照组比,差异也无显著性(P>0.05);PBMC加植物血凝素(PHA)和脂多糖(LPS)刺激后的每分钟脉冲数、PBMC培养上清中IL-4,IFN-γ水平和mRNA表达与对照组比较差异无显著性(P均>0.05)。结论：并非所有CHD患儿均伴有胸腺发育不全或免疫功能缺陷,CHD患儿易感染不一定是先天性免疫功能低下的表现。     

集聚蛋白在淋巴细胞活化中的作用

目的研究在神经突触形成中发挥重要作用的集聚蛋白（agrin）是否在淋巴细胞中表达并影响淋巴细胞的活化和免疫突触的形成。方法应用RT-PCR检测集聚蛋白在静止和活化淋巴细胞中的表达，并应用实时定量PCR检测分析集聚蛋白的表达量与淋巴细胞活化之间的关系；用抗集聚蛋白抗体观察其对淋巴细胞增殖和免疫突触形成的影响；应用共聚焦显微镜观察集聚蛋白是否参与免疫突触的形成。结果RT-PCR结果显示集聚蛋白在静止和活化的淋巴细胞中均有表达，且经过实时定量PCR分析发现，集聚蛋白的表达和淋巴细胞的活化密切相关；当集聚蛋白被阻断后淋巴细胞的增殖被显著抑制；经共聚焦显微镜观察发现，集聚蛋白在活化的淋巴细胞中以帽化结构形式存在，且和CD3分子共定位，抗集聚蛋白抗体町以明显减少这种帽化结构的形成。结论在神经突触中发挥重要作用的集聚蛋白同样存在于淋巴细胞，呵能通过影响淋巴细胞的免疫突触的形成参与淋巴细胞的活化。     

微囊藻毒素免疫检测技术研究进展

微囊藻毒素主要是由蓝绿藻属产生的的一类毒素,其毒性主要表现在特异性抑制细胞内的蛋白磷酸酶(Ppl和PP2A)。目前有关微囊藻毒素分析和检测的研究开展得十分广泛,免疫检测技术由于其众多的优点更显示出其良好的应用前景。本文详细地综述了目前国内外在微囊藻毒素免疫检测方面的研究方法和成果;并在总结这些研究的基础上,展望了微囊藻毒素免疫检测技术的发展方向。     

地塞米松诱导大鼠免疫细胞凋亡机制初探

报道了地塞米松诱导大鼠胸腺、脾细胞凋亡机制的初探。结果表明，地塞米松与这些器官的细胞共同培养不同时间，其糖皮质激素受体（ＧＣＲ）量发生变化，胸腺细胞ＧＣＲ量在培养１．５ｈ组为６７．７２±１５．２１（ｆｍｏｌ／１０６细胞），显著高于对照组３０．５７±８．２５及５ｈ组３６．９１±９．１７（Ｐ＜０．０５），脾细胞ＧＣＲ量各组差异不显著（Ｐ＞０．０５）。在细胞周期蛋白依赖抑制因子（ρ１６）实验中，观察到Ｐ１６阳性细胞数在１．５ｈ组多于对照组及５ｈ组。在形态学及生化实验中，对照组及１．５ｈ组，胸腺、脾细胞Ｇｉｅｍｓａ染色形态一致，其ＤＮＡ未见断裂带；而５ｈ组，胸腺：脾细胞可见核固缩、深染、核碎裂、体积小的凋亡细胞，其ＤＮＡ电泳可见典型“梯状”条带。由此，推测地塞米松通过ＧＣＲ的作用，影响细胞周期相关蛋白，进而诱导免疫细胞凋亡。     

抗VEGF单克隆抗体偶联5-FU纳米微粒的初步研究

目的： 为了提高5-氟尿嘧啶(5-fluorouracil, 5-FU)的抗癌活性，采用抗VEGF单克隆抗体与 5-FU 聚乳酸纳米微粒交联结合制备具有靶向功能的免疫纳米微粒。 方法： 采用抗VEGF单克隆抗体与已制备的 5-FU 聚乳酸纳米微粒(5-FU-NPs)以化学键偶联连接的方法制备具有靶向功能的5-FU免疫纳米微粒(5-FU-Ab-NPs)，考察其形貌、粒径分布、体外释放和免疫活性等性能。结果： 5-FU-Ab-NPs仍呈规则球形，粒径约为（202±23）nm，体外释放实验表明该5-FU-Ab-NPs与5-FU-NPs具有相似缓释特性，免疫学检测和电镜检视显示偶联后的抗VEGF单克隆抗体免疫活性保持原活性的80%以上。结论： 5-FU-Ab-NPs保持原5-FU-NPs缓释药物的特点，具有双重活性功能，即免疫导向和缓释药物,有利于提高肿瘤局部药物浓度。     

CD4+ CD25+调节性T细胞在流产中的研究进展

CD4+CD25+调节性T细胞(Tr)是一个具有独特免疫调节功能的T细胞亚群.Tr免疫学特性主要在于抑制自身反应性T细胞的活化,并参与外周免疫耐受,对维持机体内环境的稳定起重要作用.Tr在流产中发挥重要的免疫调节作用.     

逆转录病毒载体介导的同种MHC基因在小鼠胸腺的表达

目的:通过胸腺内注射质粒 PXN(N2—B19—H—2K~b),表达外源性主要组织相容性抗原复合物(major histo-compatibility complex,MHC)抗原,为下一步诱导异基因小鼠器官移植耐受作准备.方法:通过 BALB/C 小鼠胸腺内注射质粒 PXN(N2—B19—H—2K~b),将外源性的编码 C57BL/6小鼠MHCI类抗原的H—2K~bcDNA转移到 BALB/C小鼠胸腺,用聚合酶链反应(PCR),反转录聚合酶链反应(RT—PCR),单克隆抗体免疫萤光染色流式细胞仪检测BALB/C小鼠胸腺细胞DNA,mRNA和MHC蛋白质表达,结果:BALB/C小鼠胸腺表面有外源性MHC分子表达,转染效率为5.1%结论:通过胸腺内注射逆转录病毒载体PXN(N2—B19—H—2K~b),小鼠胸腺能表达同种MHC基因,为下一步行异基因小鼠器官移植耐受打下了物质基础.     

TCR signalling network organization at the immunological synapses of murine regulatory T cells

Regulatory T (Treg) cells require T‐cell receptor (TCR) signalling to exert their immunosuppressive activity, but the precise organization of the TCR signalling network compared to conventional T (Tconv) cells remains elusive. By using accurate mass spectrometry and multi‐epitope ligand cartography (MELC) we characterized TCR signalling and recruitment of TCR signalling components to the immunological synapse (IS) in Treg cells and Tconv cells. With the exception of Themis which we detected in lower amounts in Treg cells, other major TCR signalling components were found equally abundant, however, their phosphorylation‐status notably discriminates Treg cells from Tconv cells. Overall, this study identified 121 Treg cell‐specific phosphorylations. Short‐term triggering of T cell subsets via CD3 and CD28 widely harmonized these variations with the exception of eleven TCR signalling components that mainly regulate cytoskeleton dynamics and molecular transport. Accordingly, conjugation with B cells indeed caused variant cellular morphology and revealed a Treg cell‐specific recruitment of TCR signalling components such as PKCθ, PLCγ1 and ZAP70 as well as B cell‐derived CD86 into the IS. Together, results from this study support the existence of a Treg cell‐specific IS and suggest Treg cell‐specific cytoskeleton dynamics as a novel determinant for the unique functional properties of Treg cells.