A step through the looking glass

正Despite our many advances in deconstructing and understanding cellular and biomolecular machineries,the homochirality of life remains an enigma.Since our earliest ancestors,the central dogma has operated solely on D-DNA     

Pilot study: assessing the clinical diagnosis of allergy in atopic children using a microarray assay in addition to skin prick testing and serum specific IgE

Background

Children with atopic dermatitis (AD) are at risk of developing allergy. Alongside clinical history, testing modalities include skin prick tests (SPT), specific immunoglobulin-E (sp-IgE) and recently, microarray assays. The aim of this pilot study was to assess current tests and the ISAC sIgE-112 system in the diagnosis of food and aeroallergen allergy.

Methods

Children aged 0–11 years with moderate to severe AD were included. An initial allergy assessment including clinical history, SPT and sp-IgE was performed to determine food and aeroallergen sensitization. A second independent clinical assessment using the same information given to the first assessor and ISAC test results for food and aeroallergen sensitization was also made for each participant. The results from both were compared.

Results

30 children [mean age 3.91 years (SD 3.3)] were included; 53.3 and 46.7 % had moderate and severe AD, respectively. Sp-IgE tests had a higher percentage of positive results compared to SPT and ISAC tests for common allergens. There was a significant difference between the three tests in detecting aeroallergen sensitization (p = 0.038), especially between sp-IgE and ISAC tests, but no significant difference between the tests for food allergen sensitization. There was good agreement between the two assessors; 70 % of the children had a change in diagnosis, with 60 % having at least one diagnosis added and 40 % having at least one diagnosis removed.

Conclusions

There is a role for the use of ISAC testing in diagnosing sensitization and allergy in children with AD as it leads to a change in diagnosis for many patients. Further work is required to assess its clinical and cost effectiveness.

     

Selenium and mercury levels in rat liver slices co-treated with diphenyl diselenide and methylmercury

Organoseleno-compounds have been investigated for its beneficial effects against methylmercury toxicity. In this way, diphenyl diselenide (PhSe)₂ was demonstrated to decrease Hg accumulation in mice, protect against MeHg-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, and protect against the overall toxicity of this metal. In the present study we aimed to investigate if co-treatment with (PhSe)₂ and MeHg could decrease accumulation of Hg in liver slices of rats. Rat liver slices were co-treated with (PhSe)₂ (0.5; 5 µM) and/or MeHg (25 µM) for 30 min at 37 °C and Se and Hg levels were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in the slices homogenate, P1 fraction, mitochondria and incubation medium. Co-treatment with (PhSe)₂ and MeHg did not significantly alter Se levels in any of the samples when compared with compounds alone. In addition, co-treatment with (PhSe)₂ and MeHg did not decrease Hg levels in any of the samples tested, although, co-incubation significantly increased Hg levels in homogenate. We suggest here that (PhSe)₂ could exert its previously demonstrated protective effects not by reducing MeHg levels, but forming a complex with MeHg avoiding it to bind to critical molecules in cell.     

正肝化症方联合隔姜灸对原发性肝癌行经肝动脉化疗栓塞术患者肝功能和免疫功能的影响

目的:探讨正肝化症方联合隔姜灸对原发性肝癌(PHC)行经肝动脉化疗栓塞术(TACE)患者肝功能和免疫功能的影响。方法:选取2015年2月～2018年11月期间广东省第二人民医院收治的PHC患者121例,根据数表法将患者随机分为对照组(n=60)和研究组(n=61),其中对照组予以TACE治疗,研究组在对照组基础上予以正肝化症方联合隔姜灸治疗,比较两组患者临床疗效、生活质量及肝功能、免疫功能指标水平,记录两组治疗期间不良反应发生情况。结果:研究组治疗后临床总有效率为75.41%(46/61),高于对照组患者的56.67%(34/60)(P0.05)。两组患者治疗后谷氨酸氨基转移酶(ALT)、天冬氨酸氨基转移酶(AST)、总胆红素(TBIL)均较治疗前降低,且研究组低于对照组(P0.05)。两组患者治疗后CD4~+、CD4~+/CD8~+均较治疗前升高,且研究组高于对照组(P0.05);CD8~+较治疗前降低,且研究组低于对照组(P0.05)。两组患者治疗后健康调查简表(SF-36)评分较治疗前升高,且研究组高于对照组(P0.05)。研究组不良反应总发生率低于对照组(P0.05)。结论:正肝化症方联合隔姜灸辅助TACE治疗PHC患者,疗效确切,可有效改善患者肝功能以及免疫功能,提高患者生活质量,减少不良反应发生率。     

早期非小细胞肺癌患者血清巨噬细胞抑制因子-1、趋化素与临床病理特征及预后的关系

目的:探讨早期非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)患者血清巨噬细胞抑制因子-1(MIC-1)、趋化素(chemerin)水平与临床病理特征及预后的关系。方法:选择72例NSCLC患者(NSCLC组)、53例肺良性疾病患者(良性组)、50例体检健康人群(对照组),分别检测血清MIC-1、chemerin水平,分析血清MIC-1、chemerin水平与NSCLC患者临床病理参数的关系。Kaplan-Meier法分析不同血清MIC-1、chemerin水平NSCLC患者生存时间的差异,COX比例风险回归分析血清MIC-1、chemerin水平与NSCLC患者预后的关系。结果:NSCLC组患者血清MIC-1、chemerin水平高于良性组和对照组(P0.05)。血清MIC-1水平与NSCLC患者年龄、目前吸烟、肿瘤直径、TNM分期、分化程度、复发或转移、生存状态有关(P0.05),chemerin水平与NSCLC患者目前吸烟、TNM分期、复发或转移、生存状态有关(P0.05)。高MIC-1水平患者生存率低于低MIC-1水平患者(P0.05),高chemerin水平患者生存率低于低chemerin水平患者(P0.05)。COX比例风险回归分析结果显示:血清MIC-1、chemerin、TNM分期与NSCLC不良预后独立相关。结论:血清MIC-1、chemerin水平与NSCLC患者部分临床病理参数和预后相关,可作为早期NSCLC患者预后预测的潜在指标。