Next-generation sequencing through multigene panel testing for the diagnosis of hereditary epidermolysis bullosa in Chinese population

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a heritable blistering disorder. We performed a next-generation sequencing-based multigene panel test and successfully predicted 100% of the EB types, including, 36 EB simplex (EBS), 13 junctional EB (JEB), 86 dystrophic EB (DEB), and 3 Kindler EB. Chinese JEB and recessive DEB (RDEB) patients have relatively mild phenotypes; for severe type separately accounts for 45.5% and 23.8%, respectively. We identified 96 novel and 49 recurrent pathogenic variants in 11 genes, although we failed to detect the second mutation in one JEB and five RDEB patients. We identified one novel p.E475K mosaic mutation in the clinically normal mother of one out of 13 EBS patients with KRT5 mutations, one recurrent p.G2034R mosaic mutation, and one novel p.G2043R mosaic mutation in the clinically normal relatives of two out of 19 dominant DEB patients. This study shows that next-generation technology could be an effective tool in diagnosing EB.     

基于免疫系统非线性模型对中医正邪相争理论和扶正祛邪治则的一个非线性动力学诠释

文中基于免疫系统有关免疫活性细胞或分子与外来抗原相互作用的非线性的动力学模型对中医学正邪相争理论及其扶正祛邪治则进行了新的诠释,提出了新的研究思路。认为:中医学关于外感邪气致病的六经、卫气营血和三焦辨证在本质上是识别抗原与免疫活性细胞或分子相互作用的三种不同的非线性动力学诊断模式,其证相应于这一过程中不同的非线性动力状态,可以用一个或一组非线性动力学方程进行定量描述。一个证常常对应于抗原与免疫活性的细胞或分子非线性动力学相互作用相空间中的一个稳定或不稳定的极限环和混沌,这可以作为证诊断的图形或形象标识。以中医学扶正祛邪的治疗思想为先导,有可能研制出全新靶向的和更有效的治疗传染性疾病的药物。     

马来西亚寒邪致病及其证治初探

根据第一作者在马来西亚从事中医临床工作50余年的经验,以中医理论为指导,探讨了在炎热的马来西亚,寒邪致病的可能性、客观性以及寒邪致病的病因、病机、临床表现特征及其治疗方法。     

临床医师处方抗菌药物前需思考的几个问题

2001年和2003年卫生部全国医院感染监测网调查结果均显示,医院横断面抗菌药物的平均使用率在54%以上,联合用药较为普遍.国内监测结果也表明细菌耐药性日益严重.针对上述问题,提出临床医师在面对病人开处方抗菌药物之前,须思考的问题:是否有使用抗菌药物的适用症?是否了解选用的抗菌药物,选用何种药物?是否有联合使用抗菌药物的指征?采用何种给药途径、给药剂量、给药时间?是否属于特殊宿主或针对特殊病原体的感染使用抗菌药物?密切观察抗菌药物治疗是否有效?针对局部感染是否需要穿刺或外科手术引流病灶?是否已出现抗菌药物的不良反应?是否存在药物相互作用?是否存在不合理使用抗菌药物情况?并且针对每个问题提出了建议.     

Presence of immunoglobulin M antibodies around the glomerular capillaries and in the mesangium of normal and passive Heymann nephritis rats

Summary Diffuse distribution of small, faintly staining, beaded deposits of rat immunoglobulin M (IgM) around the glomerular capillary blood vessels, and a more intensely staining larger deposition in the mesangium, were observed on the kidney sections of normal rats. As glomerular-fixed nephritogenic antigens are known to be present on the epithelial aspect of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM), especially at the soles of foot processes and at the slit pores, it was assumed that the IgM antibodies were directed against these antigens. Investigation by immunofluorescent antibody double-staining techniques of rat kidney sections obtained from normal and rabbit anti-FX1A-injected rats stained for the nephritogenic antigen showed that a number of antigenic sites in the glomeruli and in the mesangium shared antibody hits by heterologous rabbit IgG and autologous rat IgM antibodies. Most sites in the glomeruli stained specifically for rat IgM or rabbit IgG, but preferentially for the latter. The intensely fluorescent mesangial deposits stained mainly for rat IgM, indicating that at these sites the antigenic material was virtually saturated, while areas at the entry to the mesangial space also stained for rabbit IgG, indicating that at these locations free nephritogenic epitopes were still available for reaction with the anti-FX1A antibody. Western blot analysis have shown that the rabbit anti-rat FX1A IgG and the rat anti-rat KF3 IgM antibodies are directed against the same renal tubular-derived antigen with a molecular weight of 70,000. These experimental findings collectively demonstrate that the heterologous IgG and autologous IgM antibodies are directed against the same nephritogenic antigen, which is found in the glomeruli, the mesangium and the proximal convoluted tubules. Thus, the IgM autoantibody has a possible physiological role but, in addition, there is evidence of active immunophagocytic events, manifested in a rapid and continuous entrapment and expulsion of macromolecules after their processing by the mesangial cells of normal and passive Heymann nephritis rats.     

Reconstitution of CD4+ T cell responses in HIV-1 infected individuals initiating highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is associated with renewed interleukin-2 production and responsiveness

Reconstitution of functional CD4(+) T cell responsiveness to in vitro stimuli is associated with continuous highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Thirty-six antiretroviral naive patients received HAART over 16 weeks. Antigen-specific, mitogen and interleukin (IL)-2 induced lymphocyte proliferative responses and specific IL-2 and IL-4 production were assessed at each time-point, together with quantification of HIV-1 RNA load and lymphocyte populations. Reconstitution of recall responses was limited largely to persistent antigens such as Herpes simplex virus and Candida, rather than to HIV-1 or neo-antigens. Recall antigens, mitogens and IL-2-induced renewed responses were associated with in-vitro production of IL-2, but not IL-4. Differential responsiveness to low versus high concentration IL-2 stimulus increases in a stepwise manner, suggesting normalization of IL-2 receptor expression and improved functionality. These increases in in-vitro proliferative responses thus probably reflect short lived effector clones, driven by ongoing antigenic stimulus associated with persisting long-term organisms. In this context non-responsiveness to HIV-1 antigens suggests ongoing HIV-1 specific clonal T cell anergy.