Quantitative HIV-1 proviral DNA detection: a multicentre analysis

Despite the widespread use of molecular biology techniques, standardized methods for the measurement of HIV-1 proviral DNA are currently lacking and several discordant results are still present in different studies. To assess the clinical meaning of the proviral DNA load, a study group comprising seven different laboratories was set up to standardize a HIV-1 proviral DNA quantification method able to assess the DNA proviral load of the most relevant circulating HIV-1 subtypes. Reference samples (24 cellular samples infected with HIV-1 clade B, and 40 samples of peripheral blood mononuclear cells containing different concentrations of plasmids expressing different HIV-1 clades) were distributed and tested blindly. All laboratories employed hTERT gene as housekeeping gene and primers within the gag gene to quantify different HIV-1 clades. Inter-laboratory results did not differ statistically but showed only minor variations concerning HIV-1 DNA amounts and different HIV clades, with a good agreement among the laboratories participating in the study. Since test standardization represents a key step for future application in clinical practice, further studies of the patients' samples are in progress to establish the real meaning and utility of the proviral DNA load for clinical management of HIV-1 infected patients.     

Genetic analysis of fluvastatin response and dyslipidemia in renal transplant recipients

The Assessment of Lescol in Renal Transplantation clinical trial demonstrated the efficacy of fluvastatin in reducing cardiovascular (CV) disease in renal transplant recipients. The study included a voluntary pharmacogenetic component, enrolling 1,404 patients, which allowed association testing of baseline measures and longitudinal analysis of the 707 fluvastatin-treated and 697 placebo-treated individuals. A candidate gene approach, examining 42 polymorphisms in 18 genes, was used to test for association between selected polymorphisms and major adverse cardiac events, graft failure, change in LDL and HDL cholesterol, and baseline LDL and HDL cholesterol. Reported associations between cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) and baseline HDL cholesterol were replicated, with four previously implicated single nucleotide polymorphisms significantly associated in males and one in females; tests of reported associations between CETP and CV disease yielded varying results. We found no evidence for genetic factors affecting fluvastatin response. Polymorphisms in 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) previously reported to affect the efficacy of pravastatin did not show a similar effect on the reduction of LDL cholesterol by fluvastatin.     

Admixture mapping of an allele affecting interleukin 6 soluble receptor and interleukin 6 levels

Circulating levels of inflammatory markers can predict cardiovascular disease risk. To identify genes influencing the levels of these markers, we genotyped 1,343 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 1,184 African Americans from the Health, Aging and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study. Using admixture mapping, we found a significant association of interleukin 6 soluble receptor (IL-6 SR) with European ancestry on chromosome 1 (LOD 4.59), in a region that includes the gene for this receptor (IL-6R). Genotyping 19 SNPs showed that the effect is largely explained by an allele at 4% frequency in West Africans and at 35% frequency in European Americans, first described as associated with IL-6 SR in a Japanese cohort. We replicate this association (P<1.0x10-12) and also demonstrate a new association with circulating levels of a different molecule, IL-6 (P<3.4x10-5). After replication in 1,674 European Americans from Health ABC, the combined result is even more significant: P<1.0x10-12 for IL-6 SR, and P<2.0x10-9 for IL-6. These results also serve as an important proof of principle, showing that admixture mapping can not only coarsely localize but can also fine map a phenotypically important variant.     

Complete Genomic Sequence Analysis of a New SV40 Isolate

The genome of a new SV40 strain (SV-IMB) isolated from a rhesus monkey was completely sequenced and compared with other isolates. The results showed that the whole genome contains 5246bp, and the average identity of SV-IMB was 98.1% as compared to other SV40 isolates. Its regulatory region is composed of a complete enhancer and a defective enhancer. Amino acid changes occurred to some extent in both the large T antigen (T-Ag) and VP1 region. The findings demonstrate that the SV-IMB is a new SV40 isolate.     

Recent Advances in Biological Control of Pest Insects by Using Viruses in China

Insect viruses are attractive as biological control agents and could be a feasible alternative to chemical insecticides in the management of insect infestations. This review describes recent advances in the development of wild-type and genetically modified viruses as insecticides. A new strategy of application of insect viruses in China is reviewed. Also, the assessment of biosafety of genetically modified Helicoverpa armigera Nucleopolyhedovirus (HearNPV) is emphasized as a case-study.     

肉毒毒素在肿瘤治疗和辅助治疗领域的研究进展

肉毒毒素是肉毒梭状芽胞杆菌生长繁殖过程中产生的一种细菌外毒素。它可以通过抑制相关神经递质的释放而抑制神经的生理作用,目前临床适应症涉及神经内科、整形外科、康复科、泌尿科等多领域。最新研究发现,肉毒毒素作为毒蕈碱受体拮抗剂可抑制迷走神经释放乙酰胆碱,从而抑制胃癌的发生与发展。同时发现肉毒毒素可通过阻断去甲肾上腺素等神经递质的释放引起神经性的血管舒张,从而打开肿瘤神经血管网来改善肿瘤的放射和化学治疗的疗效。现就其在肿瘤治疗及其辅助治疗相关领域的研究现状进行了综述。     

过表达外源ST3Gal I增加MCF-7细胞与胞外基质粘附和侵袭能力

为探讨过表达外源α2,3-唾液酸转移酶（ST3Gal Ⅰ）对乳腺癌MCF-7细胞粘 附和侵袭能力的影响,构建pEGFP-N1-ST3Gal I真核表达载体.采用GenEscortTM Ⅱ包裹后转染MCF-7细胞. MCF-7细胞为3组：未转染组 (M)、转染空质粒组 (P) 和转染ST3Gal I组 (ST3); 荧光显微镜观察融合蛋白EGFP ST3Gal I的表达.采用 半定量RT-PCR、Western印迹法分析转染后MCF-7细胞ST3Gal Ⅰ基因mRNA水平和 蛋白表达水平;流式细胞术分析ST3Gal Ⅰ下游产物细胞表面α2,3-唾液酸含量;采用细胞粘附实验及transwell小室检测转染前后细胞与基质胶Matrigel粘附、迁移和侵袭运动能力的变化.结果表明, 荧光显微镜下P组细胞内绿色荧光呈弥散分 布,而ST3组绿色荧光主要集中在细胞质中,RT-PCR与Western印迹也证实了外源 ST3Gal Ⅰ基因mRNA和蛋白表达均明显增加（P<0.05）,其下游产物细胞表面 α2,3-唾液酸含量明显增加（P<0.05）;与M、P组相比,ST3组表现为粘附、迁移和侵袭能力明显增强（P<0.05）.利用转染技术可明显提高外源ST3Gal Ⅰ在MCF -7细胞表达,明显增加MCF-7细胞与胞外基质（ECM）粘附、迁移和侵袭能力,可形成肿瘤入侵表型,将有望成为治疗乳腺癌转移的新靶点.     

A two-stage meta-analysis identifies several new loci for Parkinson's disease

A previous genome-wide association (GWA) meta-analysis of 12,386 PD cases and 21,026 controls conducted by the International Parkinson''s Disease Genomics Consortium (IPDGC) discovered or confirmed 11 Parkinson''s disease (PD) loci. This first analysis of the two-stage IPDGC study focused on the set of loci that passed genome-wide significance in the first stage GWA scan. However, the second stage genotyping array, the ImmunoChip, included a larger set of 1,920 SNPs selected on the basis of the GWA analysis. Here, we analyzed this set of 1,920 SNPs, and we identified five additional PD risk loci (combined p<5×10⁻¹⁰, PARK16/1q32, STX1B/16p11, FGF20/8p22, STBD1/4q21, and GPNMB/7p15). Two of these five loci have been suggested by previous association studies (PARK16/1q32, FGF20/8p22), and this study provides further support for these findings. Using a dataset of post-mortem brain samples assayed for gene expression (n = 399) and methylation (n = 292), we identified methylation and expression changes associated with PD risk variants in PARK16/1q32, GPNMB/7p15, and STX1B/16p11 loci, hence suggesting potential molecular mechanisms and candidate genes at these risk loci.     

Methicillin-susceptible ST398 Staphylococcus aureus responsible for bloodstream infections: an emerging human-adapted subclone?

In the course of an annual 3-month bloodstream infections (BSI) survey conducted during a four-year period in 31 healthcare institutions located in three noncontiguous French regions, we report 18 ST398 Staphylococcus aureus BSI. ST398 BSI incidence showed a seven-fold increase during the study period (0.002 per 1,000 patient days in 2007 vs. 0.014 in 2010). ST398 BSI isolates differed from the pig-borne multiresistant clone: 17/18 BSI isolates were methicillin susceptible and none was of t011, t034 or t108 pig-borne spa-types. ST398 BSI isolates had homogenous resistance patterns (15/18 with only Ery(r)) and prophagic content (all harboured the hlb-converting Sau3int phage). The clustering of BSI and pig-borne isolates by spa-typing and MLVA, the occurrence of Sau3int phage in BSI isolates and the lack of this phage in pig-borne isolates suggest that the emergence of BSI isolates could have arisen from horizontal transfer, at least of the Sau3int phage, in genetically diverse MSSA ST398 isolates. The acquisition of the phage likely plays a role in the increasing ability of the lysogenic ST398 isolates to colonize human. The mode of acquisition of the non pig-borne ST398 isolates by our 18 patients remains unclear. ST398 BSI were diagnosed in patients lacking livestock exposure and were significantly associated with digestive portals of entry (3/18 [16.7%] for ST398 vs. 19/767 [2.5%] for non ST398 BSI; p?=?.012). This raises the question of possible foodborne human infections. We suggest the need for active surveillance to study and control the spread of this human-adapted subclone increasingly isolated in the hospital setting.