Octaploidy in idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura

We report a case of an elderly 68-year-old male who presented in our hospital with chief complaints of petechial rashes and ecchymosis over extremities and bleeding from the oral cavity since 3-4 days prior to hospitalization. He saw a physician before coming to our hospital and received one dose of IV methylprednisolone and oral wysolone. He had come to our hospital for further management. Bone marrow karyotyping was done and chromosomal analysis revealed two cell lines. Eighty percent of the cells analyzed revealed apparently normal male karyotype. However, 20% cells analyzed revealed a total of 184 chromosomes, suggesting octaploidy.     

FCGR2C genotyping by pyrosequencing reveals linkage disequilibrium with FCGR3A V158F and FCGR2A H131R polymorphisms in a Caucasian population

The FCGR3A-V158F and FCGR2A-H131R polymorphisms are associated with clinical responses to therapeutic mAbs and with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). The FCGR2C-ORF/STOP polymorphism, controlling FcγRIIC expression on natural killer cells and therefore FcγRIIC-mediated antibody dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity, is also associated with ITP. Using a new pyrosequencing assay to determine this polymorphism in a control population, we observed the expected allele frequencies (ORF:12.6%) and percentages of individuals with a single copy (10.0%) or 3 copies (12.1%) of FCGR2C, or with at least one FCGR2C-ORF allele (20.1%). No association of FCGR2C copy number variations with the FCGR3A-V158F or FCGR2A-H131R genotype was detected. More importantly, our results demonstrate a strong and a weaker linkage disequilibrium associating the FCGR2C-ORF allele with the FCGR3A-158V and the FCGR2A-131H allele, respectively.     

Humanized Mouse Model to Study Bacterial Infections Targeting the Microvasculature

Neisseria meningitidis causes a severe, frequently fatal sepsis when it enters the human blood stream. Infection leads to extensive damage of the blood vessels resulting in vascular leak, the development of purpuric rashes and eventual tissue necrosis. Studying the pathogenesis of this infection was previously limited by the human specificity of the bacteria, which makes in vivo models difficult. In this protocol, we describe a humanized model for this infection in which human skin, containing dermal microvessels, is grafted onto immunocompromised mice. These vessels anastomose with the mouse circulation while maintaining their human characteristics. Once introduced into this model, N. meningitidis adhere exclusively to the human vessels, resulting in extensive vascular damage, inflammation and in some cases the development of purpuric rash. This protocol describes the grafting, infection and evaluation steps of this model in the context of N. meningitidis infection. The technique may be applied to numerous human specific pathogens that infect the blood stream.     

特发性血小板减少性紫癜与巨细胞病毒、EB病毒感染相关性

目的：探讨小儿特发性血小板减少性紫癜（ITP）与巨细胞病毒、EB病毒感染的关系。方法：实验组：48例确诊断为ITP患儿,对照组：44例同期呼吸道感染患儿,应用酶联免疫吸附法（ELISA）对两组小儿外周血进行巨细胞病毒IgM抗体（HCMV-IgM）、EB病毒感染IgM抗体（EB-IgM）检测。结果：48例ITP患儿中HCMV-IgM抗体阳性者20例,阳性率为41.67%,明显高于对照组,两组之间差异有显著性（P〈0.01）;EBV-IgM抗体阳性者14例,阳性率为29.17%,明显高于正常对照组,两组之间差异有显著性（P〈0.05）。结论：1、巨细胞病毒感染是引起特发性血小板减少性紫癜的重要原因之一,且通过临床观察巨细胞病毒感染引起的ITP患儿病情重,病程长,治疗时间长,转为慢性ITP的可能性大;2、EB病毒感染可能是引起特发性血小板减少性紫癜的原因之一,并且EB病毒感染引起的特发性血小板减少性紫癜病情也偏重。     

肝细胞生长因子和基质金属蛋白酶-9在过敏性紫癜中表达的意义

目的:探讨肝细胞生长因子(HGF)和基质金属蛋白酶-9(MMP-9)在儿童过敏性紫癜(HSP)中表达的意义,探寻肾脏损害预测的敏感指标。方法:选取HSP与过敏性紫癜肾炎(HSPN)患儿各30例,并选取同期体检的健康儿童30名作为对照组,采用酶联免疫吸附试验法(ELISA)检测3组血清和尿液中的HGF及血清MMP-9含量,并采用比浊法检测24 h尿蛋白,分析HGF、MMP-9与24 h尿蛋白的相关性。结果:HSP组、HSPN组血清、尿液HGF,血清MMP-9及尿蛋白定量均高于对照组(P0.05);HSPN组中Ⅱ~Ⅳ期患者血清HGF及Ⅰ~Ⅳ期尿液HGF、Ⅲ~Ⅳ期MMP-9及Ⅰ~Ⅳ期尿蛋白定量均高于HSP组(P0.05);血清及尿液HGF与血清MMP-9无明显相关性(r=0.014,0.027,P0.05);血清HGF与尿蛋白定量无明显相关性(r=0.032,P0.05);尿液HGF、血清MMP-9与尿蛋白定量均呈正相关(r=0.412、0.302,P0.05)。结论:尿液HGF、MMP-9均参与HSP、HSPN病情的发展,尿液HGF、MMP-9水平的监测有助于评估HSPN的病情及预后,但HGF与MMP-9之间无明显相关性。     

环孢素A对难治性免疫性血小板减少性紫癜的辅助治疗

目的探讨环孢素A辅助治疗难治性免疫性血小板减少性紫癜(ITP)的临床疗效及对患者血小板计数和细胞因子的影响。方法选择2013年1月至2016年12月期间浙江省金华市人民医院收治的难治性ITP患者78例。按照随机数字表分为观察组39例与对照组39例。对照组患者给予利妥昔单抗治疗,观察组在对照组基础上结合环孢素A辅助治疗,两组患者疗程均为3个月。比较两组患者的疗效,治疗前后血小板计数变化,血小板恢复正常时间,治疗前后细胞因子变化及不良反应发生情况。结果观察组患者治疗总有效率(92.31%)高于对照组(69.23%),差异有统计学意义(χ2=6.6857,P0.05);两组患者治疗后血小板计数增加,观察组患者治疗后血小板计数高于对照组、血小板恢复正常时间低于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(t=20.6717、8.1189,P0.05);两组患者治疗后IFN-γ水平较治疗前降低,IL-4、IL-10水平升高,差异有统计学意义(观察组:t=22.9522、11.7500、11.9032,对照组:t=9.8537、7.2250、6.7012,P0.05),且治疗后观察组患者IFN-γ水平低于对照组,IL-4、IL-10水平高于对照组,差异有统计学意义(t=13.0096、3.8277、4.7989,P0.05);两组患者不良反应发生率比较差异无统计学意义(χ2=0.0000,P0.05)。结论环孢素A辅助治疗难治性ITP患者疗效显著,且可增加患者血小板数量,降低IFN-γ水平,增加IL-4、IL-10水平,提高患者免疫力。     

Conformational stability and domain unfolding of the Von Willebrand factor A domains

Von Willebrand factor (VWF), a multimeric multidomain glycoprotein secreted into the blood from vascular endothelial cells, initiates platelet adhesion at sites of vascular injury. This process requires the binding of platelet glycoprotein Ib-IX-V to the A1 domain of VWF monomeric subunits under fluid shear stress. The A2 domain of VWF monomers contains a proteolytic site specific for a circulating plasma VWF metalloprotease, A Disintegrin and Metalloprotease with Thrombospondin motifs, member #13 of the ADAMTS enzyme family (ADAMTS-13), that functions to reduce adhesiveness of newly released, unusually large (UL), hyperactive forms of VWF. Shear stress assists ADAMTS-13 proteolysis of ULVWF multimers allowing ADAMTS-13 cleavage of an exposed peptide bond in the A2 domain. Shear stress may induce conformational changes in VWF, and even unfold regions of VWF monomeric subunits. We used urea as a surrogate for shear to study denaturation of the individual VWF recombinant A domains, A1, A2, and A3, and the domain triplet, A1-A2-A3. Denaturation was evaluated as a function of the urea concentration, and the intrinsic thermodynamic stability of the domains against unfolding was determined. The A1 domain unfolded in a 3-state manner through a stable intermediate. Domains A2 and A3 unfolded in a 2-state manner from native to denatured. The A1-A2-A3 triple domain unfolded in a 6-state manner through four partially folded intermediates between the native and denatured states. Urea denaturation of A1-A2-A3 was characterized by two major unfolding transitions: the first corresponding to the simultaneous complete unfolding of A2 and partial unfolding of A1 to the intermediate state; and the second corresponding to the complete unfolding of A3 followed by gradual unfolding of the intermediate state of A1 at high urea concentration. The A2 domain containing the cleavage site for ADAMTS-13 was the least stable of the three domains and was the most susceptible to unfolding. The low stability of the A2 domain is likely to be important in regulating the exposure of the A2 domain cleavage site in response to shear stress, ULVWF platelet adherence, and the attachment of ADAMTS-13 to ULVWF.     

A murine model for human immune thrombocytopenic purpura and comparative analysis of multiple gene expression in bone marrow and spleen

Homeostasis of platelet number in human and other mammals is well maintained for prevention of minor bleeding and for other immunological functions,but the exact molecular mechanism responsible for immune thrombocytopenic purpura(ITP) has not been fully understood.In an effort to identify genetic factors involved in initiation of platelet production in response to bleeding injury or platelet destruction,we have successfully generated an animal model of human ITP via intraperitoneal injection of anti-platele...