益生菌防治特应性皮炎的研究进展

特应性皮炎(atopic dermatitis,AD)是会反复发作、具有明显遗传倾向性的慢性炎症性皮肤病,发病率逐年增高.AD的发病机制主要为遗传性或获得性皮肤屏障受损引起的皮肤微生态失衡和变应原渗漏,激活对应的炎症反应,造成"屏障受损-炎症反应"的恶性循环.AD的传统治疗方法多采用糖皮质激素和免疫抑制剂,但其副作用的...     

益生菌对特应性皮炎的防治及机制研究进展

特应性皮炎(atopic dermatitis, AD)是一种以反复发作和严重瘙痒为特征、发病率最高的过敏性皮肤病。AD的致病机制涉及遗传易感性、表皮屏障功能障碍、微生物组失调、免疫反应失衡以及环境等多个因素,而现有治疗用药副作用大、疗效欠佳。目前研究已发现肠道菌群尤其是益生菌在AD中起着重要作用。益生菌能够通过抑制病原菌、增强屏障功能、改善肠道环境和平衡Th1/Th2免疫应答等机制改善AD症状。本文综述了AD患者皮肤及肠道微生态特征,基于AD发病的致病机制和影响因素,系统阐明益生菌缓解AD的机制,以期为益生菌治疗AD及相关皮肤过敏性疾病提供理论支持。     

肠黏膜屏障与肠道菌群的相互关系

人类肠道中微生物群与肠道环境相互作用以维持机体健康。肠黏膜屏障主要由黏液层、肠道菌群、肠道免疫系统和肠上皮细胞本身的完整性等构成。肠道作为直接与大量菌群接触的器官,其屏障功能在肠道健康中的作用尤为显著。肠道菌群与肠道屏障相互作用,保持肠道菌群与肠道屏障相对稳定,肠道菌群参与肠道免疫反应的建立,共同建立机体天然防御系统,在保持肠道免疫的动态平衡中具有重要作用。当两者之间的平衡被打破时,可诱发功能性胃肠病（如肠易激综合征）及免疫相关性疾病（如炎症性肠病）。本文主要阐述肠黏膜屏障与肠道菌群之间的相互关系以及与肠道屏障功能障碍相关的肠道疾病。     

应激对肠道菌群的影响及机制研究进展

应激是机体受到各种因素刺激时所出现的全身非特异性反应,可对全身各个系统产生影响。肠道菌群是肠道微生态的重要组成部分,对维持机体健康发挥重要作用。应激通过影响肠道黏膜屏障功能、肠道免疫功能、胃肠道运动功能等引起肠道菌群紊乱。本文就应激对肠道菌群的影响及机制的研究进展进行综述。     

防御素调节腹盆腔放疗肠道微生态失调的研究进展

防御素作为内源性的抑菌/杀菌剂对胃肠道菌群平衡有重要作用,还可用来改善肠内菌群生态失调。放疗在杀伤癌细胞同时对正常细胞有较大影响,影响肠道屏障和肠内菌群平衡。而防御素有协同抗微生物活性和免疫应答作用,可改善腹盆腔放疗后胃肠道微生态失调。本研究对防御素、肠道微生态、腹盆腔放疗后防御素与微生态失调以及防御素对腹盆腔治疗的影响等做一综述。     

肠道菌群影响黏膜屏障结构与功能的研究进展

肠道黏膜屏障具有防止致病性抗原侵入、维护肠道健康的功能。而肠道菌群是肠道黏膜屏障的重要构成部分,肠道菌群失调会导致肠道黏膜屏障的损伤,引起炎性肠病、肠易激综合征及肝、肾等多种疾病的发生发展。因此,本文从肠道黏膜的结构与功能及肠道菌群对其的影响等方面归纳总结肠道菌群对屏障系统的调控作用,从调节肠道微生态平衡、促进黏液分泌、影响紧密连接和肠道上皮通透性、激发肠黏膜免疫、调控肠上皮凋亡、影响肠上皮DNA稳定性及产生特殊代谢产物等方面阐述其作用机制,为临床胃肠道疾病及其并发症的治疗提供新的思路和方法。     

微生态制剂在老年人肠道菌群失衡中的应用

人类从青年到老年这个过程,随着年龄的增长,退行性和感染性疾病的易感性也增加,其可能与人体肠道菌群失衡有着密切的关系。人体肠道内生理菌群对机体健康具有重要的作用,其变化与宿主的免疫功能、食物、疾病和年龄等有关。了解老年人肠道菌群特点,且在老年人肠道菌群失调相关疾病中合理介入微生态制剂,将大大有利于老年人身体健康。本文就老年人肠道菌群失衡相关疾病以及微生态制剂在这些疾病中的应用进行综述。     

益生菌在结直肠癌患者中的应用

结直肠癌(colorectal cancer,CRC)的发病率及病死率在多国多年居高不下,肠道微生态的失衡在CRC的发生发展中所起的作用被许多学者所证实。专家一致认为,积极纠正肠道微生态失衡是可取的。CRC患者术前肠道菌群已经出现改变,术后肠道菌群失衡加重,化疗会进一步加重这种失衡状态。肠道微生态的稳态对机体肠道功能和免疫功能等起着重要作用。益生菌作为一种可调节肠道菌群的微生态制剂,已显现出在CRC患者治疗中的应用价值,现对益生菌在CRC患者中的应用进展作一综述。     

PCR相关分子技术在皮肤黏膜微生态研究中的应用

皮肤黏膜微生态是指寄居在人体体表和与外界相通腔道的微生物群落与人体相互依存相互影响,形成在皮肤黏膜结构功能中发挥重要作用的微生态环境。微生态可对人体的疾病、健康产生不可忽视的影响,因此围绕该领域的研究不容忽视。以往的微生态研究通常基于传统的培养方法,存在诸多无法克服的缺陷和不足。随着PCR技术在生命科学研究中的广泛应用,PCR相关的各种分子技术以其各自的特点在不同的研究领域发挥着重要作用。     

粪菌移植的临床应用研究进展

人类的肠道菌群种类及数量众多,目前被认为是人体的一个特殊器官。肠道菌群在维持肠道的正常生理功能和机体免疫功能方面发挥了重要作用,肠道微生态失衡与炎症性肠病、代谢综合征、肝病、心血管疾病、精神疾病、关节炎等多种肠内外疾病密切相关,纠正肠道微生态失衡将有助于上述疾病的治疗。粪菌移植（fecal microbiota transplantation,FMT）是指将健康人粪便中的功能菌群移植到患者胃肠道内,重建具有正常功能的肠道菌群,以达到治疗肠道和肠道外疾病的目的。目前报道FMT已应用于艰难梭菌感染、炎症性肠病、肠易激综合征、代谢综合征等多种疾病的治疗中。本文就FMT的临床应用现状作一综述。     

Sex differences in concentrations of HMGB1 and numbers of pigmented monocytes in infants and young children with malaria

Sex remains a key biological variable affecting human innate and adaptive immune responses to infection and in pathogenesis of diseases. In malaria, females demonstrate higher concentrations of antibodies and rates of severe adverse events and mortality following malaria vaccination. Although monocytes/macrophages play a crucial role in disease and protection in malaria, no studies have investigated sex differences in their functions in production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines in malaria-infected subjects. Here, we show significant sex differences in serum concentrations of HMGB1, a non-histone chromatin-associated protein, and numbers of pigmented monocytes, which are both markers of severe malaria, in infants and young children <5 years old from a malaria endemic region in Northern Uganda. Female infants and young children with clinical malaria had significantly higher HMGB1 concentrations than males, and female infants and young children with asymptomatic malaria had significantly lower numbers of pigmented monocytes than males with asymptomatic malaria. There was (1) a significant correlation between HMGB1 concentrations and pigmented monocyte numbers in female but not male infants; and (2) a significant correlation between HMGB1 concentrations and parasite densities in female but not male infants. These findings suggest that female infants and young children with clinical malaria might be at a greater risk of morbidity characterized by higher serum HMGB1 levels.     

婴幼儿腹泻患者肠道菌群分布特点研究

目的 研究不同年龄段腹泻患儿肠道菌群分布特点,探讨不同年龄腹泻患儿肠道菌群与疾病的关联。方法 选取9例符合临床诊断标准的0~1岁婴儿腹泻患者和8例符合临床诊断标准的1~3岁幼儿腹泻患者的粪便样本,同时于健康儿童中随机选取6例粪便样本作为对照,提取各组对象粪便总DNA,采用PCR-DGGE进行菌群多样性与差异性分析。结果 0~1岁腹泻患儿肠道菌群与健康对照组相比,肠道菌群构成差异显著,条件致病菌巴黎链球菌数量显著增加。1~3岁腹泻患儿肠道菌群与健康对照组相比,条件致病菌解没食子酸链球菌、屎肠球菌数量显著增加,长双歧杆菌数量下降。结论 婴幼儿腹泻患者肠道菌群的构成与健康对照组相比差异显著,该特点可作为婴幼儿腹泻早期诊断的实验依据。     

Age-dependent mobilization of circulating endothelial progenitor cells in infants and young children undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass

This study was designed to find the effects of age on circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and their mobilization in infants and young children following surgical correction of congenital heart defects. In 60 consecutive infants and young children (1 month to 3 years old) undergoing repair of atrial/ventricular septal defect, the numbers of EPCs and plasma levels of IL-6, -8, -10, TNF-α, VEGF and G-CSF were determined preoperatively, at the end of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), as well as 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h following surgery. Preoperative EPCs were reduced with increased age, similar to changes in plasma VEGF and G-CSF levels. Rapid mobilizations of EPCs and plasma VEGF, G-CSF were induced by cardiac surgery with CPB in all infants and young children, and the increased volumes of EPCs, VEGF and G-CSF decreased with age decreasing. The increased volumes of IL-6, -8, -10 and TNF-α were similar in different age groups. However, mobilization of EPCs, plasma VEGF and G-CSF were limited in infants <6 months old, which did not correlate with change in inflammatory IL activation. Preoperative EPCs and plasma levels of VEGF and G-CSF were reduced with increasing age in infants and young children. Although a significant increase in EPCs and release of cytochemokines were observed in infants undergoing CPB, the mobilization of EPCs of the infants <6 months old are limited.     

Filaggrin null mutations are associated with altered circulating Tregs in atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with a complex pathogenesis. Although regulatory T cells (Tregs) have previously been studied in AD, their role remains controversial, likely owing to patient heterogeneity. Thus, we recruited adult AD patients and age‐matched healthy controls, and assessed their filaggrin (FLG) genotype, serum IgE level, and eczema area and severity index (EASI). We found increased proportions of all circulating Treg subpopulations in AD patients. Moreover, we show positive correlations between circulating Tregs and serum IgE FLG null mutations limited the expansion of both memory and effector Tregs and enhanced that of recently thymus‐emigrated Tregs. Furthermore, proportions of circulating Th2‐ or Th17‐Tregs but not Th1‐Tregs were increased in AD patients, and accentuated by FLG null mutations, thereby mimicking the immune deviation observed in Th cell populations. Moreover, ICOS⁺ Tregs showed reduced production of interleukin‐10, suggesting impaired immunosuppression in AD. The level of demethylation of FOXP3i1, which reflects the stability of FOXP3 expression, was similar in the blood and skin of AD patients and healthy controls. Overall, these results show that Tregs may participate into AD pathogenesis and that FLG null mutations exert further modifications on specific subpopulations of circulating Tregs.     

Development of atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions in STAT6-deficient NC/Nga mice

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a pruritic inflammatory skin disease characterized by elevation of plasma levels of total IgE, infiltration of mast cells and eosinophils, and the expression of cytokines by Th2 T cells. However, the role of Th2 cells in the pathogenesis of AD is not fully understood. In this study we examined the NC/Nga (NC) mouse model of AD and established STAT6-deficient (SATA6(-/-)) NC mice to investigate the relevance of IL-4-mediated immune responses. Surprisingly, these mice elicited AD-like skin lesions at equivalent frequency and time of onset compared with normal NC littermates. Histological features of the lesion in STAT6(-/-) NC mice fulfilled the criteria for the pathogenesis of AD, although these mice fail to produce IgE and Th2 cytokines. The lymph nodes proximal to the regions of skin that developed lesions exhibited massive enlargement elicited by the accumulation of activated IFN-gamma-secreting T cells. Moreover, caspase I, IL-18, IL-12, and IFN-gamma are found to be highly expressed at the skin lesion, occurring simultaneously with elevation of eotaxin 2 and CCR3 expression. Therefore, the Th2-mediated immune response is not necessary for the development of AD-like skin disease in NC mice. The skin microenvironment that favored IFN-gamma production tightly correlates with the skin disease in NC mice through the infiltration of eosinophils.     

The role of gut microbiota in pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease

This paper describes the effects of the gut microbiota on the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's pathology by evaluating the current original key findings and identifying gaps in the knowledge required for validation. The diversity of the gut microbiota declines in the elderly and in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Restoring the diversity with probiotic treatment alleviates the psychiatric and histopathological findings. This presents a problem: How does gut microbiota interact with the pathogenesis of AD? The starting point of this comprehensive review is addressing the role of bacterial metabolites and neurotransmitters in the brain under various conditions, ranging from a healthy state to ageing and disease. In the light of current literature, we describe three different linkages between the present gut microbiome hypothesis and the other major theories for the pathogenesis of AD as follows: bacterial metabolites and amyloids can trigger central nervous system inflammation and cerebrovascular degeneration; impaired gut microbiome flora inhibits the autophagy-mediated protein clearance process; and gut microbiomes can change the neurotransmitter levels in the brain through the vagal afferent fibres.     

Understanding the mechanism of action of the exfoliative toxins of Staphylococcus aureus

The exfoliative toxins of Staphylococcus aureus are responsible for the staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome, a blistering skin disorder that particularly affects infants and young children, as well as adults with underlying disease. Their three-dimensional structure is similar to other glutamate-specific trypsin-like serine proteases with two substrate-binding domains and a serine-histidine-aspartate catalytic triad that forms the active site. However, unlike other serine proteases, the exfoliative toxins possess a highly charged N-terminal alpha-helix and a unique orientation of a critical peptide bond, which blocks the active site of the toxins so that, in their native state, they do not possess any significant enzymatic activity. The target for the toxins has recently been identified as desmoglein-1, a desmosomal glycoprotein which plays an important role in maintaining cell-to-cell adhesion in the superficial epidermis. It is speculated that binding of the N-terminal alpha-helix to desmoglein-1 results in a conformation change that opens the active site of the toxin to cleave the extracellular domain of desmoglein-1 between the third and fourth domains, resulting in disruption of intercellular adhesion and formation of superficial blisters. Elucidating the mechanism of action of the toxins and identifying desmoglein-1 as their specific epidermal substrate has not only given us an insight into the pathogenesis of the staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome, but also provided us with useful information on normal skin physiology and the pathogenesis of other toxin-mediated diseases. It is hoped that this knowledge will lead to development of rapid screening and diagnostic tests, and new antitoxin strategies for the treatment and prevention of the staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome in the near future.     

Altered lipid properties of the stratum corneum in Canine Atopic Dermatitis

Skin barrier disruption plays a role in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD) in humans. However, little is known about skin barrier (dys-) function in Canine Atopic Dermatitis. The properties of lipids located in the outermost layer of the skin, the stratum corneum (SC) are considered to be important for the barrier. In the present study the lipid composition and lipid organization of the SC of AD dogs and control dogs were examined. The lipid composition of lesional AD skin as compared to control skin, showed a reduced free fatty acid level and a decreased ratio of ceramide[NS] C44/C34, in which C44 and C34 are the total numbers of carbon atoms of the sphingosine (S) and non-hydroxy (N) acyl chains. As a consequence of the observed changes in lipid composition in AD lesional skin the lamellar organization of lipids altered and a shift from orthorhombic to hexagonal lipid packing was monitored. Simultaneously an increased conformational disordering occurred. These changes are expected to compromise the integrity of the skin barrier. The C44/C34 chain length ratio of ceramide[NS] also showed a decreasing nonlinear relationship with the AD severity score (CADESI). Taken together, canine atopic skin showed alterations in SC lipid properties, similar to the changes observed in atopic dermatitis in humans, that correlated with a disruption of the skin barrier. Hence lipids play an important role in the pathogenesis of Canine Atopic Dermatitis.