Fanconi anemia: contribution of molecular analyses to the identification of bone marrow graft donors and the study of chimerism in grafted patients

We report on the effectiveness of molecular studies regarding Fanconi anemia (FA) for a better selection of bone marrow graft donors and for post-transplant follow up. Ten unrelated FA patients and their families were analyzed by microsatellite markers. In 9 cases, the cytogenetic investigation of potential human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-identical related donors was normal, and the molecular analyses confirmed that they were also either normal or heterozygous carriers. For 1 patient, cytogenetic analysis of an HLA-identical sibling donor yielded ambiguous results with a relatively high number of chromosomal breakages using cross-linking agents. However, genotyping of this potential donor demonstrated his heterozygous state. Nine patients have received allogeneic bone marrow transplantation from HLA-matched related donors. Microsatellite analysis showed complete chimerism (CC) in all cases. The median follow up was 54 months (range 8-144 months). One patient out of 9 with CC rejected her graft without prior detection of a transitional mixed chimerism. Among these patients, 1 died 25 months after the transplantation of a chronic graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD). We conclude that, when the cytogenetic studies are not conclusive, molecular analyses are crucial to distinguish heterozygous carriers from asymptomatic FA Tunisian patients. Molecular analyses also allowed the evaluation of hematopoietic chimerism after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation and might be of value to identify patients with a high risk for graft rejection.     

云南狭顶叶蝉属二新种（同翅目：叶蝉科：横脊叶蝉亚科）

本文记述狭顶叶蝉属Ａｎｇｕｓｔｅｌｌａ２新种,即：白斑狭顶叶蝉Ａ．ａｌｂｏｎｏｔａｔａ．ｓｐ．ｎｏｖ,黑背狭顶叶蝉Ａ．ｎｉｇｒｉｎｏｔａｓｐ．ｎｏｖ,模式标本保存在中国科学院动物研究所。     

Determinants of sustained viral suppression in HIV-infected patients with self-reported poor adherence to antiretroviral therapy

Background

Good adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is critical for successful HIV treatment. However, some patients remain virologically suppressed despite suboptimal adherence. We hypothesized that this could result from host genetic factors influencing drug levels.

Methods

Eligible individuals were Caucasians treated with efavirenz (EFV) and/or boosted lopinavir (LPV/r) with self-reported poor adherence, defined as missing doses of ART at least weekly for more than 6 months. Participants were genotyped for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in candidate genes previously reported to decrease EFV (rs3745274, rs35303484, rs35979566 in CYP2B6) and LPV/r clearance (rs4149056 in SLCO1B1, rs6945984 in CYP3A, rs717620 in ABCC2). Viral suppression was defined as having HIV-1 RNA <400 copies/ml throughout the study period.

Results

From January 2003 until May 2009, 37 individuals on EFV (28 suppressed and 9 not suppressed) and 69 on LPV/r (38 suppressed and 31 not suppressed) were eligible. The poor adherence period was a median of 32 weeks with 18.9% of EFV and 20.3% of LPV/r patients reporting missed doses on a daily basis. The tested SNPs were not determinant for viral suppression. Reporting missing >1 dose/week was associated with a lower probability of viral suppression compared to missing 1 dose/week (EFV: odds ratio (OR) 0.11, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.01–0.99; LPV/r: OR 0.29, 95% CI: 0.09–0.94). In both groups, the probability of remaining suppressed increased with the duration of continuous suppression prior to the poor adherence period (EFV: OR 3.40, 95% CI: 0.62–18.75; LPV/r: OR 5.65, 95% CI: 1.82–17.56).

Conclusions

The investigated genetic variants did not play a significant role in the sustained viral suppression of individuals with suboptimal adherence. Risk of failure decreased with longer duration of viral suppression in this population.     

不同营养水平下绵羊附睾头GPx5表达与定位

提取35%VFI组、65%VFI组和自由采食组三个不同营养水平下的绵羊附睾头组织总RNA,应用Real-Time PCR方法检测附睾头中GPx5 mRNA的表达规律,利用免疫组化技术对附睾头GPx5进行定位分析。结果表明:GPx5 mRNA在附睾头的表达水平由低到高依次为:35%VFI组<65%VFI组<自由采食组;通过细胞免疫荧光分析检测到在附睾头上皮细胞有阳性产物。说明GPx5在不同营养水平下具有表达差异性,低营养水平显著影响了附睾头GPx5的表达。     

Mortality Associated with Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease in Older Women

Background

Current guidelines for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) recommend diabetes as a CVD risk equivalent. However, reports that have examined the risk of diabetes in comparison to pre-existing CVD are lacking among older women. We aimed to assess whether diabetes was associated with a similar risk of total and cause-specific mortality as a history of CVD in older women.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We studied 9218 women aged 68 years or older enrolled in a prospective cohort study (Study of Osteoporotic Fracture) during a mean follow-up period of 11.7 years and compared all-cause, cardiovascular and coronary heart disease mortality among 4 groups: non-diabetic women with and without existing CVD, diabetic women with and without existing CVD. Mean (SD) age of the participants was 75.2 (5.3) years, 3.5% reported diabetes and 6.8% reported existing CVD. During follow-up, 5117 women died with 36% from CVD. The multivariate adjusted risk of cardiovascular mortality was increased among both non-diabetic women with CVD (hazard ratio (HR) 2.32, 95% CI: 1.97–2.74, P<0.001) and diabetic women without CVD (HR 2.06, CI: 1.62–2.64, P<0.001) compared to non-diabetic women without existing CVD. All-cause, cardiovascular and coronary mortality of non-diabetic women with CVD were not significantly different from diabetic women without CVD.

Conclusions/Significance

Older diabetic women without CVD have a similar risk of cardiovascular mortality compared to non-diabetic women with pre-existing CVD. The equivalence of diabetes and CVD seems to extend to older women, supporting current guidelines for cardiovascular prevention.     

基因定点整合技术及其在苔藓研究中的进展

基因定点整合技术是20世纪80年代后兴起的一种分子生物学技术,在精细研究基因功能,消除转基因沉默,基因治疗等有重要意义。基因定点整合技术是功能基因组学研究的重要手段。目前关于基因定点整合技术在酵母和鼠胚胎干细胞中的应用已经很成熟,高等植物由于同源重组频率较低而限制了它的应用,但小立碗藓(Physcomitrella patens)基因同源重组频率较高,基因定点整合技术得到了成功应用,可望成为一种新的分子生物学的模式植物。本文针对基因定点整合的原理、技术路线及进展作一综述。     

内蒙古草蛉研究Ⅱ.五新种及二新记录种(脉翅目:草蛉科)

内蒙古地处我国北部边疆,全境以高原为主,西部为戈壁沙漠,东部为宽阔草原,绝大多数地区属于温带大陆性气候;动物地理区划属于古北区中亚细亚区的内蒙河西干草原区。该区现已知草蛉3属16种(包括本文所记述的5新种和2新记录种),其分布特点是以狭义的草蛉属Chrysopa为主,而且以广布于华北地区的叶色草蛉Chrysopaphyllochroma Wesmeal为代表种,新种的模式标本分别保存在中国科学院动物研究所及北京农业大学昆虫标本室。     

Phospholipase Dδ assists to cortical microtubule recovery after salt stress

The dynamic microtubule cytoskeleton plays fundamental roles in the growth and development of plants including regulation of their responses to environmental stress. Plants exposed to hyper-osmotic stress commonly acclimate, acquiring tolerance to variable stress levels. The underlying cellular mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we show, for the first time, by in vivo imaging approach that linear patterns of phospholipase Dδ match the localization of microtubules in various biological systems, validating previously predicted connection between phospholipase Dδ and microtubules. Both the microtubule and linear phospholipase Dδ structures were disintegrated in a few minutes after treatment with oryzalin or salt. Moreover, by using immunofluorescence confocal microscopy of the cells in the root elongation zone of Arabidopsis, we have shown that the cortical microtubules rapidly depolymerized within 30 min of treatment with 150 or 200 mM NaCl. Within 5 h of treatment, the density of microtubule arrays was partially restored. A T-DNA insertional mutant lacking phospholipase Dδ showed poor recovery of microtubule arrays following salt exposition. The restoration of microtubules was significantly retarded as well as the rate of root growth, but roots of overexpressor GFP-PLDδ prepared in our lab, have grown slightly better compared to wild-type plants. Our results indicate that phospholipase Dδ is involved in salt stress tolerance, possibly by direct anchoring and stabilization of de novo emerging microtubules to the plasma membrane, providing novel insight into common molecular mechanism during various stress events.     

高血压病的复合超声心动图研究

现常用于检测高血压病的彩色、脉冲多普勒及二维、M型超声心动图几种方法,各有其优点与不足。本文利用其各自的优点,运用上述复合超声心动图法检测96例高血压病患者及86例正常人,进行了分析研究。认为,此法检诊高血压病是实用、可行的。