Application of a pigment measuring device – Mexameter®– for the differential diagnosis of vitiligo and nevus depigmentosus

Background/purpose: Vitiligo and nevus depigmentosus (ND) present similar hypopigmented macules with significantly different prognoses. Although the distinction between the two diseases is important, differential diagnosis relies on medical history and physical examination, which is far from decisive in some cases. The Mexameter^® is an objective skin color-measuring device, and has been reported to provide a reproducible and sensitive means of quantifying small skin color differences. In this study, we investigated the usefulness of a Mexameter^® for discriminating these diseases.
Methods: A selection of 202 hypopigmented skin lesions (182 from vitiligo and 20 from ND) were the objects of this study. Using a Mexameter, MIs were obtained from lesions and symmetrically located control skin. RMIs, ratios of the MIs of lesional skins to control skins, were calculated.
Results: The mean MIs and RMIs were significantly different for vitiligo and ND. The mean RMI of ND lesions was 74±13, which was significantly higher than that of vitiligo lesions (50±24). No ND lesion had an RMI of <50%.
Conclusion: This study shows that the Mexameter^®, an objective pigment-measuring device, can be used to achieve a more accurate diagnosis of hypopigmentary disorders, and that the relative melanin index (RMI), which represents the relative pigment levels, might be a more effective parameter than the melanin index (MI) itself for comparing pigmentation differences.     

AMPK在妊娠期糖尿病发病机制中的作用

腺苷酸活化蛋白激酶是一种重要的蛋白激酶,主要作用是协调代谢和能量平衡.腺苷酸活化蛋白激酶被激活后,在增加骨骼肌对葡萄糖摄取、增强胰岛素敏感性、增加脂肪酸氧化以及调节基因转录等方面发挥重要作用.已经证实脂联素有调节糖脂代谢的作用,但其作用机制尚不十分清楚,很可能是通过腺苷酸活化蛋白激酶介导,对脂联素信号转导通路的研究将成为进一步理解脂联素作用的关键所在.而脂联素又是妊娠期糖尿病的预测因子,所以腺苷酸活化蛋白激酶逐渐成为对妊娠期糖尿病研究中的焦点.     

D1期前列腺癌的诊断

１９９０年１２月至１９９３年１２月，我们对临床Ａ－Ｃ期２７例病人进行盆腔淋巴结活检术，检出１２例Ｄ１期病人。临床Ａ期有５０％，Ｂ期有３７％，Ｃ期有７１％的病人发现盆腔淋巴结癌转移，其癌细胞的恶性程度也与淋巴结癌转移有关。近年，经腹腔镜盆腔淋巴结活检已成为诊断Ｄ１期前列腺癌的新方法。     

Mid-trimester abortion using prostaglandin E2 gel.

Nineteen cases of mid-trimester pregnancy were terminated using prostaglandin E2 gel applied intracervically. In this prospective study, 42% were primipara with gestational age at the time of abortion between 16 and 28 weeks. The induction to abortion time was 19.65 +/- 10.37 h with a success rate of 89%. The average number of applications was 1.8 times (range 1-3 times) and the average dosage of prostaglandin required was 5.5 mg (range 3-9 mg). The complications were minimal except retained placenta in 42% of cases. Prostaglandin E2 in form of gel applied intracervically is an effective alternative to the commonly used hypertonic saline or, more recently, to prostaglandin analogues for termination of pregnancy in the second trimester.     

A magnetic resonance imaging study of putamen nuclei in major depression.

The basal ganglia are recognized as putative mediators of certain cognitive and behavioral symptoms of major depression. Moreover, patients with basal ganglia lesions have repeatedly exhibited significant affective symptomatology, including apathy, depressive mood, and psychosis. Using high resolution, axial T2 intermediate magnetic resonance images, and a systematic sampling stereologic method, we assessed putamen nuclei volumes in 41 patients with major depression (DSM-III) and 44 healthy volunteer controls of similar age. Depressed patients had significantly smaller putamen nuclei compared with controls. Age was negatively correlated with putamen size in both groups. These results are the first demonstration of diminished putamen volumes in depression and further support a role for basal ganglia structures in the etiopathogenesis of depression.     

B组轮状病毒WH-2株vp7基因的原核表达与抗体的制备

目的：在大肠杆菌中表达人B组轮状病毒WH-2株VP7蛋白并制备其兔抗血清。方法：根据B组轮状病毒（GBRV）WH-2株vp7基因的全序列设计引物,用PCR的方法扩增得到vp7基因的编码区。将其克隆到原核GST融合表达载体pGEX-KG内,转化大肠杆菌E.coliDH5α,IPTG诱导表达人B组轮状病毒WH-2株VP7蛋白,经SDS-PAGE分离纯化表达的蛋白免疫新西兰兔,制备人B组轮状病毒WH-2株VP7蛋白抗血清。结果：经鉴定确认,vp7基因以正确的方式插入到载体中,此重组表达载体经IPTG诱导后,可表达相对分子量为53.4 kDa的GST-VP7融合蛋白。制备的抗血清经同样诱导表达的表达载体pGEX-KG表达产物吸收后1：500倍稀释后用Western Blot分析,与53.4 kDa的GST-VP7融合蛋白获得特异性显色信号。结论：人B组轮状病毒WH-2株VP7蛋白成功在大肠杆菌中GST融合表达,所表达的蛋白和制备的抗体不但为研究结构与功能提供了物质基础,也为GBRV所引起的疾病预防、诊断和治疗等流行病学研究和临床诊断奠定了基础,具有重要实际应用价值。     

11β-羟类固醇脱氢酶与2型糖尿病

11β-羟类固醇脱氢酶(11β-HSDs)催化氢化可的松(皮质酮)和可的松(脱氢皮质酮)的相互转化，对调节局部糖皮质激素的活性起着重要作用，而糖皮质激素可诱导胰岛素抵抗。肝、脂肪等组织内11β-HSD活性的改变与肥胖、2型糖尿病等疾病密切相关。     

Studies on monoclonal anti-isotypic and anti-idiotypic antibodies against leukemia and myeloma: IV modulation of membrane fluidity of leukemic cell lines and tonsillar cell stimulated with McAbs

Summary In this study the technique of labelling the cell membrane with DPH fluorescence polarization was used to observe the membrane fluidity of B lymphocytic cell lines and tonsillar cells from healthy persons; the modulation effect on membrane-fluidity induced by McAbs against isotypic and idiotypic determinants of IgM from patients with leukemia was studied as well. The expression of the corresponding isotypic and idiotypic determinants of IgM on the cell membrane was determined. The results show that the membrane fluidity of leukemic cell lines is remarkably higher than that of tonsillar cells from healthy persons, and McAbs against isotypic determinants of leukemic IgM can enhance the membrane fluidity of all kinds of cells mentioned above. However, the anti-idiotypic monoclonal antibody increased only the membrane fluidity of leukemic cell lines. These results indicated that there was a close relationship between the effect of McAbs on cell membrane fluidity and the expression of corresponding isotypic and idiotypic determinants of IgM on the cell membrane.     

Physical and spectroscopic methods for the evaluation of the interactions of antimitotic agents with tubulin.

The physico-chemical methods for the study of the binding of ligands to tubulin are examined in-depth, emphasizing the assumptions on which they are based and their limitations. The criteria of specificity and linkage to protein self-association are presented. It is shown that, of the direct equilibrium binding techniques, Hummel-Dreyer gel permeation chromatography and rapid ultracentrifugation are applicable only when binding is not linked to protein self-association. Disc filtration is valid only when the reverse unbinding reaction is very low. Binding linked to protein self-association can be measured by batch gel permeation or by dialysis equilibrium. The indirect techniques, such as fluorescence perturbation or difference absorption spectroscopy are discussed in terms of the assumptions on which they are based. They are shown to be used best only after characterization of the binding by direct techniques. Equilibrium binding parameters can also be deduced from careful kinetic experiments. Comparison of calorimetrically measured enthalpies of binding to van't Hoff enthalpies derived from equilibrium measurements indicates that the method of choice is calorimetric, while comparison with van't Hoff analysis can reveal the existence of reaction steps not detected by equilibrium measurements. Use of other indirect approaches, such as titration of an enzymic activity, can also lead to the detection of additional steps. The criteria are set up for the proper data analysis of ligand binding linked to protein self-association and the selection of the proper mode of linkage. It is shown how the thermodynamic contributions of various moieties of a ligand can be established by a rational structural modification of the ligand and the proper analysis of the binding measurements, in which all non-specific entropic contributions are taken into account. It is demonstrated also how a similar analysis of binding data can lead to conclusions about the reaction pathway from a comparison of equilibrium thermodynamic measurements on judiciously modified ligand molecules.