特异性免疫不同方式给药治疗变应性鼻炎的临床效果观察

目的:研究特异性免疫不同方式给药治疗变应性鼻炎的临床效果及安全性。方法:选取2013年4月-2015年4月我院收治的80例变应性鼻炎患者为研究对象,按照给药方式的不同分为对照组与观察组,对照组给予变应原疫苗皮下免疫治疗,观察组给予变应原滴剂舌下免疫治疗,比较两组患者的治疗效果、症状积分、体征积分、RQLQ评分的改善情况与不良反应的发生情况。结果:观察组患者治疗1年后症状积分、体征积分、RQLQ评分均显著低于对照组(P0.05),但总有效率显著高于对照组(P0.01),两组患者均无严重不良反应发生,对照组患者局部不良反应的发生率明显高于观察组(P0.01)。结论:采用皮下免疫法对变应性鼻炎的治疗效果明显优于舌下免疫治疗,可有效控制患者症状和体征,且安全性更高。     

Performance of the Coriolis air sampler,a high-volume aerosol-collection system for quantification of airborne spores and pollen grains

The Coriolis δ air sampler manufactured by Bertin Technologies (France) is a continuous air sampler, dedicated to outdoor monitoring of airborne spores and pollen grains. This high-volume sampler is based on patented Coriolis technology delivering a liquid sample. The air is drawn into a conical vial in a whirling type motion using suction; particles are pulled against the wall by centrifugal force. Airborne particles are separated from the air and collected in a liquid medium. This innovative solution allows rapid analysis by several techniques including PCR assay and serological assay in order to measure the antigenicity/allergenicity of pollen grains and fungal spores. Also, traditional counting of pollen grains or taxa identification by optical microscopy can be done. A study has been carried out by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), Porton Down, UK, to measure the physical efficiency of the Coriolis air sampler. The physical efficiency of the sampler for collection of micro-organism-laden particles of various sizes has been compared with that of membrane filter samplers using the techniques described by ISO 14698-1. The Coriolis was operated simultaneously with membrane filter samplers in a controlled room where they were challenged with uniform-sized particles of different diameters containing bacterial spores. For the larger particle sizes, it was found that the physical efficiency of the Coriolis was 92% for 10-μm particles. The biological performance of the Coriolis in the collection of airborne fungal spores and pollen grains was evaluated in comparison with a Hirst spore trap (one-week tape-on-drum type sampler) which is one of the most frequently used traps in the measurement of outdoor pollen grain concentrations. The advantages and limitations of both technologies are discussed. The Coriolis was operated simultaneously with a Hirst spore trap in the sampling station of Réseau National de Surveillance Aérobiologique, France (RNSA); the pollen grain and fungal spore counts were analysed by optical microscopy. The pollen grain count m⁻³ collected was compared for both devices. The dispersion values were obtained and statistical analysis was carried out. This study shows that the Coriolis air sampler provided equivalent recovery of pollen grain and fungal spores compared with the volumetric trap standard method (not significantly different, W test, α = 0.05). Nowadays, the French-led project, acronym MONALISA, with financial support from the European Commission––Life-Environment (LIFE05 ENV/F/000068), is testing this innovative air sampler in order to measure the antigenicity/allergenicity of the main aeroallergen particles, i.e. Betula (birch), Poaceae (grasses), Parietaria (pellitory), Olea spp (olive tree), and Artemisia (mugwort) pollen grains, and Alternaria (fungal spores) to validate a new approach of monitoring instead of quantifying pollen grains by their morphology. The robustness and efficiency of the MONALISA system is being demonstrated at a national level throughout Europe in eight different countries with different bio-climatic and topography characteristics: France, UK, Finland, Poland, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, and Italy.     

Metal-controlled interdomain cooperativity in parvalbumins

Conformational behavior of five homologous proteins, parvalbumins (PAs) from northern pike (α and β isoforms), Baltic cod, and rat (α and β isoforms), was studied by scanning calorimetry, circular dichroism, and bis-ANS fluorescence. The mechanism of the temperature-induced denaturation of these proteins depends dramatically on both the peculiarities of their amino acid sequences and on their interaction with metal ions. For example, the pike α-PA melting can be described by two successive two-state transitions with mid-temperatures of 90 and 120 °C, suggesting the presence of two thermodynamic domains. The intermediate state populated at the end of the first transition was shown to bind Ca²⁺ ions, and was characterized by the largely preserved secondary structure and increased solvent exposure of hydrophobic groups. Mg²⁺- and Na⁺-loaded forms of pike α-PA demonstrated a single two-state transition. Therefore, the mechanism of the PA thermal denaturation is controlled by metal binding. It ranged from the absence of detectable first-order transition (apo-form of pike PA), to the two-state transition (e.g., Mg²⁺- and Na⁺-loaded forms of pike α-PA), to the more complex mechanisms (Ca²⁺-loaded PAs) involving at least one partially folded intermediate. Analysis of isolated cavities in the protein structures revealed that the interface between the CD and EF subdomains of Ca²⁺-loaded pike α-PA is much more loosely packed compared with PAs manifesting single heat-sorption peak. The impairment of interactions between CD and EF subdomains may cause a loss of structural cooperativity and appearance of two separate thermodynamic domains. One more peculiar feature of pike α-PA is that depending on its interactions with metal ions, it can be an intrinsically disordered protein (apo-form), an ordered protein of mesophilic (Na⁺-bound state), thermophilic (Mg²⁺-form), or even of the hyperthermophilic origin (Ca²⁺-form).     

粉尘螨变应原第7组分全长基因序列测定与分析

目的：获得粉尘螨变应原第7组分编码基因并了解其分子特征。方法：根据GenBank已公布的Derf7核酸序列设计引物,用RT—PCR扩增获得其编码基因,插入pMD19-T载体进行序列测定和生物信息学分析。结果：获得Derf7全长基因约642bp,与参考序列（GenBankAY283292）同源性达99．7％％,仅在249位”A→G”和439位“C→T”发生点突变,含1个完整的开放读码框。推测编码蛋白由213个氨基酸组成,信号肽序列位于1-17aa,亲水性指数为0．031,跨膜区域位于171—190aa,二级结构由一螺旋（57．28％）、延伸主链（6．57％）和无规卷曲（36．15％）组成;亚细胞定位于细胞质,含有N-糖基化位点1个（151-154aa）,蛋白激酶c磷酸化位点1个（193-195aa）,酪蛋白激酶Ⅱ磷酸化位点2个（155—158aaand173．176aa）。N端酰基化位点1个（97—102aa）。粉尘螨和屋尘螨变应原第7组分氨基酸序列相似度为86％,二者在螨类第7组分氨基酸序列构建出的分子进化树中聚成一簇。结论：获得了Derf7全长基因,为进一步获得其基因工程制品用于临床和实验研究奠定了基础。     

Epigenetics of hyper-responsiveness to allergen challenge following intrauterine growth retardation rat

Background

Epidemiological studies have revealed that intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) or low birth weight is linked to the later development of asthma. Epigenetic regulatory mechanisms play an important role in the fetal origins of adult disease. However, little is known regarding the correlation between epigenetic regulation and the development of asthma following IUGR.

Methods

An IUGR and ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitization/challenge rat model was used to study whether epigenetic mechanisms play a role in the development of asthma following IUGR.

Results

Maternal nutrient restriction increased histone acetylation levels of the endothelin-1 (ET-1) gene promoter in lung tissue of offspring, but did not cause significant alterations of DNA methylation. The effect was maintained until 10 weeks after birth. Furthermore, these epigenetic changes may have induced IUGR individuals to be highly sensitive to OVA challenge later in life, resulting in more significant changes related to asthma.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that epigenetic mechanisms might be closely associated with the development of asthma following IUGR, providing further insight for improved prevention of asthma induced by environmental factors.     

The major birch pollen allergen, Bet v 1, shows ribonuclease activity

The major birch (Betula alba L.) pollen allergen, Bet v 1, has been shown to be homologous to pathogenesis-related proteins in a number of plants. Recently, it was demonstrated that a ginseng protein with high homology to an intracellular pathogenesis-related protein of parsley and to Bet v 1 is a ribonuclease (RNase). Birch pollen extract was separated in an RNase activity gel. Four major RNase bands were excised from the gel, reseparated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and identified by Western blotting with a specific Bet v 1 monoclonal antibody and patient's serum. Thus the monomer and the dimer of Bet v 1 showed RNase activity. Purified recombinant Bet v 1 was shown to degrade plant RNA. The RNase activity of recombinant Bet v 1 was 180 units · mg^?1.     

Recombinant production and solution structure of lipid transfer protein from lentil Lens culinaris

Lipid transfer protein, designated as Lc-LTP2, was isolated from seeds of the lentil Lens culinaris. The protein has molecular mass 9282.7 Da, consists of 93 amino acid residues including 8 cysteines forming 4 disulfide bonds. Lc-LTP2 and its stable isotope labeled analogues were overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified. Antimicrobial activity of the recombinant protein was examined, and its spatial structure was studied by NMR spectroscopy. The polypeptide chain of Lc-LTP2 forms four α-helices (Cys4-Leu18, Pro26-Ala37, Thr42-Ala56, Thr64-Lys73) and a long C-terminal tail without regular secondary structure. Side chains of the hydrophobic residues form a relatively large internal tunnel-like lipid-binding cavity (van der Waals volume comes up to ∼600 Å³). The side-chains of Arg45, Pro79, and Tyr80 are located near an assumed mouth of the cavity. Titration with dimyristoyl phosphatidylglycerol (DMPG) revealed formation of the Lc-LTP2/lipid non-covalent complex accompanied by rearrangements in the protein spatial structure and expansion of the internal cavity. The resultant Lc-LTP2/DMPG complex demonstrates limited lifetime and dissociates within tens of hours.     

美洲大蠊变应原Pera2的生物信息学分析

目的:了解美洲大蠊变应原Per a 2的分子生物学特征。方法:从Genbank中获得Per a 2的核酸序列,用ExPaSy、EBI和NCBI网站的在线软件推导出编码氨基酸序列及其理化性质、空间结构、功能位点,并在Blastp比对后选择不同物种同源序列计算相似率、构建分子进化树。结果:Pera2由351个氨基酸细戍,分子量为38119Da、等电点为4.90、分子式为C1217H1825N285O297S18,为细胞外疏水性蛋白、属于肽酶a家族,信号肽位于1～20氨基酸处,三个跨膜螺旋区域依次位于1～19aa、51～78aa、282～300aa处;二级结构由α-螺旋(9.4%)、β延伸(28.49%)、随机线圈(62.11%)组成;美洲大蠊和德国小蠊相似率为55%、与马德拉蜚蠊相似率为51%,三者在Pera2与不同物种的同源序列构建的分子进化树中聚成一簇。结论:通过对Per a 2的生物信息学分析获得了该变应原分子特征,为进一步研究奠定基础。     

Crystal structure and some properties of a major house dust mite allergen, Derf 2

Pyroglyphid house dust mites are a major source of allergens in house dust. Mite allergens sensitize and induce asthma, rhinitis, and eczema in a large portion of patients with allergic diseases. Here, the crystal structure of a major mite allergen, Derf 2, derived from Dermatophagoides farinae was solved by single isomorphous replacement method with anomalous scattering (SIRAS) at 2.1A resolution. The present study also demonstrated that the conformation of the allergen was critical in the determination of Th1/Th2 shift based on physicochemical and immunological analyses. This indicates that rigidly folded and singly dispersed structure is essentially required for the generation of Th2 type cells by the allergen, while conformational variant protein leads to Th1 skewing, irrespective of the same amino acid sequence. This structure/function relationship may allow us to develop a novel strategy for hyposensitization therapy in patients with allergic diseases triggered by house dust mite allergens.     

Cross-reactivity between storage and dust mites and between mites and shrimp

Many patients have sensitivities to multiple species of storage and house dust mites. It is not clear if this is because patients have multiple sensitivities to species-specific mite allergens or if these mites share many cross-reacting allergens. Our objective was to further define the cross-allergenicity between several species of storage and house dust mites using crossed-immunoelectrophoresis (CIE), crossed-radioimmunoelectrophoresis (CRIE), immunoblotting, and ELISA. CIE and CRIE reactions revealed that storage mites shared two cross-antigenic molecules and one of these bound IgE in a serum pool from mite allergic patients. Antibody in anti-sera built to each species of mite recognized many SDS–PAGE resolved proteins of other mite species and this suggested the potential for other cross-reactive allergens. Among patient sera, IgE bound to many different proteins but few had IgE that bound to a protein with common molecular weights across the mite species and this suggested mostly species-specific allergens. Antiserum built to each mite species precipitated one protein in shrimp extracts that bound anti-Der p 10 (tropomyosin) and IgE in the serum pool. Anti-Der p 10 showed strong binding to shrimp tropomyosin but very little to any of the mite proteins. ELISA showed the mite extracts contained very little tropomyosin. The storage and dust mites investigated contain mostly species-specific allergens and very small amounts of the pan-allergen tropomyosin compared to shrimp and snail.