比较MoCA和MMSE在卒中后认知功能筛查中的应用

目的：比较蒙特利尔认知评估量表（Montreal Cognitive Assessment,MoCA）和简易智能量表（mini-mental state examination,MMSE）在急性缺血性脑卒中后认知损害筛查中的应用。方法：对65例缺血性脑卒中患者在发病14天内应用简易精神状态检查量表（Mini-mental State Examination,MMSE）和MoCA进行神经心理评估。其中12例患者在发病3-6个月后应用MMSE、MoCA和神经心理成套测验进行神经心理评估。以MMSE〈23分、MoCA〈21为分界值,受教育年限小于12年加1分,文盲加2分。结果：MMSE的平均分值为25.2±4.3,MoCA的平均分值为18.6±5.7。37例患者MoCA评分显示有认知损害,但其中19例患者（29%）MMSE评分显示正常。28例MoCA评估显示认知正常的患者的MMSE评分均显示认知正常。视空间与执行功能、注意和语言重复测试受损最常见,定向和命名受损较少。在3-6个月的随访期内,12例患者中1例诊断为血管性痴呆患者的MoCA的分值上升1分,MMSE分值无变化;5例认知正常患者、3例轻度认知损害无痴呆的患者和3例中度认知损害无痴呆的患者MMSE和MoCA平均分值均有不同程度的上升,视空间与执行功能平均得分值在2次检测中无明显变化。结论：MoCA较MMSE检出血管性认知功能障碍患者敏感性更高,对认知变化更为敏感。     

农村地区慢性病流行现状及控制管理对策分析

慢性病严重危害人群健康,已成为疾病负担的主要原因。本文通过三间分布（人群分布、地区分布、时间分布）发现,我国农村地区慢性病患病率随年龄增加而增高;发病年龄提前;年龄越小,增幅越大;不同的慢性病在性别间呈现不同的发病趋势;农村居民现代医学知识缺乏,健康意识淡薄,对慢性病的知晓率、治疗率和控制卒低;农村地区经济收入低,医疗保障差,慢性病会对其经济上造成沉重的负担;农村的慢性病患病率增长已经快于城市,且在死因顺位中上升。针对目前我国农村地区慢性痛的这些流行现状,进一步分析了农村地区慢性病防治存在的主要问题,并提出了控制对策及管理方法。     

细胞移植治疗脑瘫的研究现状

小儿脑性瘫痪（简称脑瘫）是目前小儿时期最主要的神经运动功能伤残疾病,且终生存在。尽管有支持性医护。但是目前并没有效治疗的方法。近几年,许多实验室开展了利用干细胞移植治疗脑瘫动物模型的研究,并且报道说人脐血干细胞和间充质干细胞对于脑瘫是有治疗作用的。而神经干细胞也被用于移植治疗脑瘫动物模型,并被证明这些移植的神经干细胞能迁移至受损脑部并分化为神经元。本文就至今已发表的一些细胞移植治疗脑瘫的研究中所用到的细胞种类做一综述。     

shRNA靶向干扰COX-2抑制人肝癌裸鼠皮下移植瘤及其血管生成

目的:探讨重组干扰质粒pshRNA-COX-2对人肝癌细胞Hep3B裸鼠皮下移植瘤生长和肿瘤血管生成的抑制作用。方法:重组干扰质粒pshRNA-COX-2转染Hep3B细胞并筛选后,RT-PCR和Western blot检测COX-2mRNA和蛋白表达,RT-PCR检测VEGFmRNA表达。将被成功转染的Hep3B细胞种植于裸鼠皮下,测量肿瘤大小,4周后处死裸鼠,免疫组织化学法检测肿瘤组织中COX-2蛋白表达和肿瘤微血管密度(MVD)。结果:与未转染细胞相比,干扰组COX-2mRNA和蛋白表达抑制率分别为65.3%和52.8%(P<0.05),干扰组VEGFmRNA表达抑制率为56.5%(P<0.05)。干扰组瘤体大小明显小于阴性组和空白组(P<0.01)。干扰组COX-2得分和MVD均明显低于阴性组和空白组(P<0.01)。结论:pshRNA-COX-2通过抑制COX-2表达明显抑制人肝癌细胞Hep3B裸鼠皮下移植瘤生长和肿瘤血管生成。     

Normal human pluripotent stem cell lines exhibit pervasive mosaic aneuploidy

Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) lines have been considered to be homogeneously euploid. Here we report that normal hPSC--including induced pluripotent--lines are karyotypic mosaics of euploid cells intermixed with many cells showing non-clonal aneuploidies as identified by chromosome counting, spectral karyotyping (SKY) and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) of interphase/non-mitotic cells. This mosaic aneuploidy resembles that observed in progenitor cells of the developing brain and preimplantation embryos, suggesting that it is a normal, rather than pathological, feature of stem cell lines. The karyotypic heterogeneity generated by mosaic aneuploidy may contribute to the reported functional and phenotypic heterogeneity of hPSCs lines, as well as their therapeutic efficacy and safety following transplantation.     

Mechanism of T cell exhaustion in a chronic environment

T cell exhaustion develops under conditions of antigen-persistence caused by infection with various chronic pathogens, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB), or by the development of cancer. T cell exhaustion is characterized by stepwise and progressive loss of T cell function, which is probably the main reason for the failed immunological control of chronic pathogens and cancers. Recent observations have detailed some of the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence the severity of T cell exhaustion. Duration and magnitude of antigenic activation of T cells might be associated with up-regulation of inhibitory receptors, which is a major intrinsic factor of T cell exhaustion. Extrinsic factors might include the production of suppressive cytokines, T cell priming by either non-professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) or tolerogenic dendritic cells (DCs), and alteration of regulatory T (Treg) cells. Further investigation of the cellular and molecular processes behind the development of T cell exhaustion can reveal therapeutic targets and strategies for the treatment of chronic infections and cancers. Here, we report the properties and the mechanisms of T cell exhaustion in a chronic environment.     

Identification of the unfolded protein response (UPR)-related genes from Bombyx mori cell lines by a subtractive hybridization approach

The baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) is one of the powerful insect cell systems for heterologous protein expression. However, over-expression of heterologous proteins in this system sometimes results in protein misfolding and aggregation because of insufficient levels of folding catalysts. In previous study using the differential screening (DS) method, we isolated only 40 differentially expressed genes after treatment with tunicamycin, an unfolded protein response (UPR) inducer. To isolate more protein folding catalysts from insect, we performed suppressive subtractive hybridization (SSH) with untreated and tunicamycin-treated Bm5 cell lines in this study. We could isolate 366 differentially expressed clones by SSH method and produced expressed sequence tags (ESTs). ESTs included the UPR pathway-related genes involved in protein folding, including heat shock proteins, molecular chaperones, foldases, as well as glycosylation and secretory pathway related genes. Identification of the tunicamycin responsive genes using SSH provides more information about the UPR-related genes in insect cells, and will facilitate modifications of the protein folding pathway in the ER to improve heterologous protein expression.     

Differences in clinical features according to Boryoung and Karp genotypes of Orientia tsutsugamushi

Background

Scrub typhus is an infectious disease caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi. The differences in virulence of O. tsutsugamushi prototypes in humans are still unknown. We investigated whether there are any differences in the clinical features of the Boryoung and Karp genotypes.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Patients infected with O. tsutsugamushi, as Boryoung and Karp clusters, who had visited 6 different hospitals in southwestern Korea were prospectively compared for clinical features, complications, laboratory parameters, and treatment responses. Infected patients in the Boryoung cluster had significantly more generalized weakness, eschars, skin rashes, conjunctival injection, high albumin levels, and greater ESR and fibrinogen levels compared to the Karp cluster. The treatment response to current antibiotics was significantly slower in the Karp cluster as compared to the Boryoung cluster.

Conclusion

The frequency of occurrence of eschars and rashes may depend on the genotype of O. tsutsugamushi.