Genetic Susceptibility to Cardiac and Digestive Clinical Forms of Chronic Chagas Disease: Involvement of the CCR5 59029 A/G Polymorphism

The clinical manifestations of chronic Chagas disease include the cardiac form of the disease and the digestive form. Not all the factors that act in the variable clinical course of this disease are known. This study investigated whether the CCR5Δ32 (rs333) and CCR5 59029 A/G (promoter region—rs1799987) polymorphisms of the CCR5 gene are associated with different clinical forms of chronic Chagas disease and with the severity of left ventricular systolic dysfunction in patients with chronic Chagas heart disease (CCHD). The antibodies anti-T. cruzi were identified by ELISA. PCR and PCR-RFLP were used to identify the CCR5Δ32 and CCR5 59029 A/G polymorphisms. The chi-square test was used to compare variables between groups. There was a higher frequency of the AA genotype in patients with CCHD compared with patients with the digestive form of the disease and the control group. The results also showed a high frequency of the AG genotype in patients with the digestive form of the disease compared to the other groups. The results of this study show that the CCR5Δ32 polymorphism does not seem to influence the different clinical manifestations of Chagas disease but there is involvement of the CCR5 59029 A/G polymorphism in susceptibility to the different forms of chronic Chagas disease. Besides, these polymorphisms do not influence left ventricular systolic dysfunction in patients with CCHD.     

Biodegradation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>,<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis> diethylaniline in a contaminated aquifer: laboratory- and field-scale evidences

The effectiveness of biosparging to mitigate N,N diethylaniline in aquifer was evaluated by measuring the time course of decrease in concentration of the aforementioned compound in aerobic microcosm experiments. The first-order kinetic constant for N,N diethylaniline aerobic biodegradation was estimated from microcosm data (0.037 ± 0.004 d⁻¹), and the value was consistent with the best-fitting value in the transport and reaction model of the aquifer (0.020 d⁻¹). Furthermore, the biodegradability of the compound was evaluated under anaerobic condition in microcosm experiments, which was supported by field modelling. There was no significant degradation in the anaerobic microcosm experiments, confirming the recalcitrance of N,N diethyl aniline under the aforementioned aquifer condition.     

Elevated CO2 changes the interactions between nematode and tomato genotypes differing in the JA pathway

Interactions between the root‐knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita and three isogenic tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) genotypes were examined when plants were grown under ambient (370 ppm) and elevated (750 ppm) CO₂. We tested the hypothesis that, defence‐recessive genotypes tend to allocate ‘extra’ carbon (relative to nitrogen) to growth under elevated CO₂, whereas defence‐dominated genotypes allocate extra carbon to defence, and thereby increases the defence against nematodes. For all three genotypes, elevated CO₂ increased height, biomass, and root and leaf total non‐structural carbohydrates (TNC):N ratio, and decreased amino acids and proteins in leaves. The activity of anti‐oxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and catalase) was enhanced by nematode infection in defence‐recessive genotypes. Furthermore, elevated CO₂ and nematode infection did not qualitatively change the volatile organic compounds (VOC) emitted from plants. Elevated CO₂ increased the VOC emission rate only for defence‐dominated genotypes that were not infected with nematodes. Elevated CO₂ increased the number of nematode‐induced galls on defence‐dominated genotypes but not on wild‐types or defence‐recessive genotypes roots. Our results suggest that CO₂ enrichment may not only increase plant C : N ratio but can disrupt the allocation of plant resources between growth and defence in some genetically modified plants and thereby reduce their resistance to nematodes.     

成釉质细胞分化机制的研究进展

牙齿的发育是由牙上皮和神经脊来源的间充质之间的连续的相互诱导产生的.上皮和间充质之间连续的相互诱导,使得上皮细胞分化为具有分泌牙釉质功能的成釉质细胞,而间充质细胞分化为具有分泌牙本质功能的成牙本质细胞.成釉质细胞的正常分化对于形成正常的牙釉质是至关重要的,本文主要对细胞信号分子、细胞黏附分子、釉质特异性基因和转录因子等在成釉质细胞分化过程中的作用做一概述.     

湖南省13所综合性医院住院儿童结核病的调查分析

目的:调查分析湖南省综合性医院住院病例中儿童结核病的情况.方法:回顾性调查2006年1月至2008年3月间湖南省13所综合性医院住院病人中诊断为结核病的0-14岁儿童结核病例.结果:共调查到儿童结核病(不舍潜伏结核感染病例)195例,男□女为1.67:1,农村居住与城市居住结核病人数比为2.67:1;发病比率最高的前三位依次为肺结核、结核性脑膜炎(含结核性脑膜脑炎)、淋巴结核;患病年龄以学龄期儿童(6-14岁)最多,婴儿期最少;不同年龄段结核类型有所不同,学龄期儿童以肺结核为主,其他各年龄组则多为肺外结核(淋巴结核、结核性脑膜炎);有结核病接触史者78例,有卡介苗接种史123例.其中.明确记录卡痕者62例;无卡介苗接种史或不详的患儿中结脑比率(36.1%)显著高于有卡介苗接种史患儿(28.5%);住院病例结核诊断手段多种多样,使用最多的为PPD皮试及淋巴活检.结论:我省综合医院住院儿童结核病患者并不少见,但危重结核类型比重大,其中以学龄期儿童患病人数多,卡介苗接种质量有待提高,我省儿童结核防治之路仍然任重而道远.     

分化抑制因子-1在大肠癌中的表达及临床意义

目的:研究分化抑制因子-1(Id-1)在人大肠癌组织中的表达及其与临床病理特征的关系。方法:应用免疫组织化学方法(SP法)检测Id-1在56例大肠癌组织及56例远癌肠黏膜中的表达水平,并分析其与临床病理特征的关系。结果:在大肠癌组织中Id-1的过表达率为80.4%,在远癌肠粘膜中过表达率为12.5%,两组比较差异有统计学意义(P0.01)。Id-1过表达与大肠癌Dukes分期及淋巴结转移有关(P0.05),而与患者年龄、性别、肿瘤组织分化程度无关(P0.05)。结论:Id-1过表达可能参与大肠癌演进,Id-1可作为判断大肠癌恶性程度和预后的指标。     

主动脉内球囊反搏术在急性心肌梗死患者中的临床应用

目的:探讨主动脉内球囊反搏术(IABP)在急性心肌梗死(AMI)患者中的临床应用.方法:收集从2008年1月至2008年12月因急性心肌梗死急诊入住我院CCU并行IABP及经皮冠状动脉介入治疗(PCI)病例32例,回顾性分析患者的临床特征、冠脉造影及介入治疗情况,观察使用IABP前后患者心率血压变化,IABP相关并发症,住院期间死亡率.结果:急性心肌梗死患者入院后及时在IABP支持下成功完成急诊PCI手术,患者应用IABP治疗后心率血压均得到明显改善.IABP相关并发症发生率仅9例,严重并发症0例,无术中死亡,住院期间死亡3例,其中合并心源性休克死亡2例.结论:主动脉内球囊反搏术在急性心肌梗死患者中的应用安全、有效,显著降低了急性心肌梗死患者的住院期间死亡率.     

乳腺癌SULT1A1、ICAM5基因单核苷酸多态性的研究

目的:探讨硫酸基转移酶(sulfotransferase,SULT)lA1、细胞间粘附分子(ICAM5)基因多态性与女性乳腺癌易感性的关系.方法:采外周血DNA后用等位基因特异性扩增法(allele specific amplification,ASA)检测青岛市200例正常对照者和160例乳腺癌患者的SULTIA1、ICAM5基因多态性分布,并进行统计学分析.结果:(1)SULTlA1 Arg/Arg、Arg/His、His/His三种基因型分布在对照组和病例组之间的差异无显著意义(P=0.103);病例组、对照组His等位基因频率分别为19.5%和9.2%(P=0.039),此差别有统计学意义;在淋巴结转移方面SULTIA1基因三种基因型在阴、阳性组间的差异有统计学意义(P=0.038).(2)ICAM5基因各基因型及等位基因分布频率在病例组和对照组间的差异无显著意义(P=0.245,P=0.294);从临床病例分型方面进一步分析,基因型GG与携带变异基因A的GA及AA基因型相比差异均无统计意义.结论:SULTlA1 His等位基因与汉族女性乳腺癌的发生可能相关.     

三七总皂苷生物合成与关键酶调控的研究进展

三七总皂苷(PNS)属于达玛烷型三萜皂苷,是中国传统珍贵药材三七的主要活性成分,三七总皂苷在中枢神经系统、心脑血管系统、血液系统、免疫系统以及抗纤维化、抗衰老、抗肿瘤等方面均具有较好的生理活性.三七总皂苷是以达玛烯二醇为前体,在P450单加氧酶和糖基转移酶催化下形成.另外,三七总皂苷与植物甾醇共享前期代谢途径.该文对近年来国内外有关三七总皂苷的生物合成途径及关键酶基因的最新研究进展进行综述,并探讨了代谢工程在三七总皂苷生物合成中的应用前景.     

裂谷热病毒囊膜蛋白基因DNA免疫的研究

分别将裂谷热病毒(Rift Valley Fever Virus,RVFV)囊膜糖蛋白GN、GC和G(N C)基因亚克隆至真核表达载体pCAGGS多克隆位点鸡β-actin转录启动子下游,分别构成pCAGG-RVFV-GN、pCAGG-RVFV-GC和pCAGG-RVFV-G(N C)。免疫沉淀试验结果表明,重组RVFV蛋白GN、GC分别在pCAGG-RVFV-GN、pCAGG-RVFV-G(N C)转染HeLa细胞中获得表达,并具有良好免疫反应性。pCAGG-RVFV-GN、pCAGG-RVFV-GC和pCAGG-RVFV-G(N C)质粒DNA混合物按100μg/只剂量肌肉注射免疫6周龄BALB/c小鼠。每隔4周用相同的剂量加强免疫,第二次加强免疫3周后采血、分离血清备用。分别以杆状病毒表达RVFV囊膜蛋白GN、GC制备的抗原液包被ELISA板,间接ELISA检测DNA免疫鼠血清中RVFV囊膜蛋白G(N C)特异性抗体,具有良好的敏感性和特异性。另外,DNA免疫鼠血清中的特异抗体可有效中和RVFV囊膜蛋白G(N C)介导的伪型VSV重组病毒侵入RVFV易感宿主细胞的感染性。结果表明,pCAGG-RVFV-GN、pCAGG-RVFV-GC和pCAGG-RVFV-G(N C)质粒DNA混合物作为DNA疫苗具有防制裂谷热的潜力。