Genetic polymorphisms in the Toll-like receptor signalling pathway in Helicobacter pylori infection and related gastric cancer

Background

Gastric cancer (GC) is a progressive process initiated by Helicobacter pylori-induced inflammation. Initial recognition of H. pylori involves Toll-like receptors (TLRs), central molecules in the host inflammatory response. Here, we investigated the association between novel polymorphisms in genes involved in the TLR signalling pathway, including TLR2, TLR4, LBP, MD-2, CD14 and TIRAP, and risk of H. pylori infection and related GC.

Methods

A case-control study comprising 310 ethnic Chinese individuals (87 non-cardia GC cases and 223 controls with functional dyspepsia) was conducted. Twenty-five polymorphisms were detected by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, PCR, PCR–RFLP and real-time PCR.

Results

Seven polymorphisms showed significant associations with GC (TLR4 rs11536889, TLR4 rs10759931, TLR4 rs1927911, TLR4 rs10116253, TLR4 rs10759932, TLR4 rs2149356 and CD14 −260 C/T). In multivariate analyses, TLR4 rs11536889 remained a risk factor for GC (OR: 3.58, 95% CI: 1.20–10.65). TLR4 rs10759932 decreased the risk of H. pylori infection (OR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.41–0.86). Statistical analyses assessing the joint effect of H. pylori infection and the selected polymorphisms revealed strong associations with GC (TLR2, TLR4, MD-2, LBP and TIRAP polymorphisms).

Conclusions

Novel polymorphisms in TLR2, TLR4, MD-2, LBP, CD14 and TIRAP, genes encoding important molecules of the TLR signalling pathway, showed clear associations with H. pylori-related GC in Chinese.     

Medline(PubMed)免疫学杂志文献搜索引擎开发研究

为了方便免疫学和相关学科工作者方便快捷、准确地查阅免疫学杂志文献,开发和利用NCBI的Medline数据库的免疫学杂志文献资源。从Medline(PubMed)中检索并列出160种有关免疫学的杂志名录,制作了每种杂志及部分杂志年份相应的超级链接,组成一个有关免疫学杂志文献的搜索引擎。此搜索引擎能快捷、准确、动态地检索160种免疫学杂志全部文献题录及部分杂志各年的文献题录,并可在PubMed中进一步检索出文献的摘要和部分全文。     

PubMed新的检索工具--NCBI Search Toolbar及其应用

NCBI Search Toolbar是美国国立医学图书馆（NLM）新近推出的专用搜索工具,本文介绍该工具的特点、使用方法等.     

Effect of the herbicide pendimethalin on rat uterine weight and gene expression and in silico receptor binding analysis

The endocrine disrupting potential of the herbicide pendimethalin was investigated in vivo on the uterotrophic response and on the expression of estrogen-regulated genes examined by quantitative real-time RT PCR. Receptor binding characteristics of pendimethalin were analyzed by an in silico method. Pendimethalin (150, 225, 300 and 600 mg/kg/day) was administered by oral gavage to immature female rats for 3 days, with ethinylestradiol (0.001 mg/kg/day) as positive control. Pendimethalin caused a small but significant increase in absolute uterine weight at and above 300 mg/kg/day and in relative uterine weight at 600 mg/kg/day. Estrogen receptor (ER)-alpha mRNA levels were not affected, whereas ER-beta mRNA was up-regulated at the highest dose. Progesterone receptor mRNA level was not significantly changed, while insulin-like growth factor-I mRNA was reduced, significantly at 225 mg/kg/day to 65% of control. Androgen receptor (AR) mRNA showed a marked down-regulation at doses of 225 mg/kg/day and above. The expression pattern differed from that of ethinylestradiol. In silico analysis revealed potential binding of pendimethalin to ER-beta and AR, but virtually no binding to ER-alpha. These data demonstrate that pendimethalin exhibits estrogenic activity also in vivo. However, its uterotrophic effect, which is an ER-alpha-mediated response, is very small, and it appears that in vivo actions should rather be sought in ER-beta-regulated functions.     

A one-step dipstick assay for the on-site detection of nucleic acid

Objectives

We have developed a one-step nucleic acid dipstick assay (NADA) for visually detecting polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products within 3 min. “One-step” means that there were no additional procedures between amplification and detection.

Methods

This method was achieved through the use of asymmetric PCR and specially designed probes with appropriate melting temperature values. We initially combined one-step NADA with asymmetric capillary convective PCR (ACCPCR), an easy and rapid nucleic acid amplification technique, to construct an on-site nucleic acid diagnostic platform.

Results

We developed a diagnostic assay for the hepatitis B virus based on the ACCPCR-NADA platform to verify its feasibility. It exhibited an analytical sensitivity of three copies per test and a broad detection spectrum including genotype A–I. It also showed 97.9% sensitivity and 100% specificity based on the results observed using 67 serum samples with the Roche COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan (COBAS) system as the standard for comparison.

Conclusion

The results provide evidence for the feasibility of using an ACCPCR-NADA platform in practical applications, especially in on-site test.     

Detection of some new Trichosporon species from the dystrophied nails of three female members of a family from North Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir

Dermatophytes are considered as the main pathogens responsible for onychomycosis, but recently successive isolations of yeast‐like fungi from the infected nails has led to consider these also as primary agents of nail infections. Trichosporon species which are non‐candidal, basidiomycetous, yeast‐like, anamorphic fungi are commonly isolated from soil but they are also emerging as important etiological agents of onychomycosis. Three species of Trichosporon viz., T. asahii, T. asteroides and T. faecale were isolated from the infected nails of three female members of a family from district Doda of Jammu and Kashmir State. Among the isolated species of Trichosporon, T. asahii was recovered from the nail samples of all the three members, thus confirming its recognition as a main pathogenic species of onychomycosis. So far, there is no report of T. asteroides and T. faecale causing onychomycosis and hence they constitute new additions to the list of onychomycotic fungi. Some of the predisposing factors like low socio‐economic condition, poor hygiene, frequent exposure of finger nails to water and dirt, climatic conditions and nail trauma were observed to be the main causes of nail infection in these patients. However, a link between the pathogenic genus and the genetic makeup of the patients is also probable.     

Medline(PubMed)血液学杂志文献搜索引擎开发研究

为方便血液学工作者快捷、准确地查阅血液学杂志文献。开发和利用NCBI的Med- line数据库的血液学杂志文献资源,收集编辑Medline(PubMed)血液学杂志文献搜索引擎。从Medline(PubMed)中检索出64种有关血液学的杂志名录,制作每种杂志相应的超级链接,从而组成一个有关血液学杂志文献的搜索引擎。此搜索引擎能快捷、方便、准确、动态地检索64种血液学杂志及其全部文献题录,并可在PubMed中进一步检索出部分文献的摘要和全文。