子宫肌瘤中IGF-1受体的变化及其与雌、孕激素受体、PCNA和Bcl-2的关系

目的观察人子宫肌瘤及周围正常子宫平滑肌组织中IGF-1受体、雌、孕激素受体、PCNA及Bcl-2含量的区别,并分析其相互关系。方法用免疫组化ABC法检测子宫肌瘤及正常子宫平滑肌组织中IGF-1受体、雌、孕激素受体、PCNA及Bcl-2含量,并对其进行图像分析;用SPSS 11统计分析软件对其进行统计及相关性分析。结果子宫肌瘤组织中IGF-1受体的含量明显高于正常子宫平滑肌组织中含量,且与雌、孕激素受体、PCNA及Bcl-2之间均存在显著正相关。结论甾体激素可能通过调节生长因子IGF-1受体含量,调节与细胞增殖相关蛋白的表达以及抑制细胞凋亡等机制,来参与子宫肌瘤的发生发展。     

霉酚酸酯对糖尿病大鼠肾组织单核细胞趋化蛋白-表达和炎症细胞浸润的影响

目的观察霉酚酸酯(MMF)对糖尿病大鼠肾组织单核细胞趋化蛋白-1表达和炎症细胞浸润的影响,并探讨其对肾脏的保护作用及机制。方法SD大鼠随机分为三组:对照组(C组)、糖尿病组(D组)和糖尿病治疗组(M组,20mg.kg-1.d-1)。大鼠单侧肾脏切除后,腹腔注射链脲菌素(STZ)成糖尿病模型,对照组仅注射等量缓冲液。观察12周后,检测大鼠血糖(BG)、血尿素氮(BUN)、血肌酐(Scr)、肾脏肥大指数(肾重KW/体重BW)、肌酐清除率(Ccr)和24小时尿蛋白(24Upro)。肾组织做常规光镜和电镜检查,观察组织的形态结构。用免疫组织化学方法检测肾组织中巨噬细胞抗原(CD68)和增殖细胞核抗原(PCNA)的蛋白表达。用半定量RT-PCR的方法检测肾组织中单核细胞趋化蛋白-1(MCP-1)的mRNA的表达。结果与对照组相比,糖尿病组大鼠BG、KW/BW、24Upro、BUN、Scr、Ccr均显著上升(P<0.05或0.01);肾小球系膜区相对面积和肾小球基底膜厚度均显著增加(P<0.01);肾组织内CD68和PCNA的蛋白质表达和MCP-1的mRNA表达均显著上调(P<0.05或0.01)。在糖尿病治疗组,上述指标除血糖外都被显著抑制(P<0.05或0.01)。结论在糖尿病大鼠模型中,MMF能减少尿蛋白,对糖尿病肾病有保护作用,其机制可能与其抑制炎症因子-MCP-1的表达,下调CD68和PCNA的水平,减少肾组织单核/巨噬细胞的聚集有关。     

霉酚酸酯对糖尿病大鼠肾组织单核细胞趋化蛋白-1表达和炎症细胞浸润的影响

目的观察霉酚酸酯(MMF)对糖尿病大鼠肾组织单核细胞趋化蛋白-1表达和炎症细胞浸润的影响,并探讨其对肾脏的保护作用及机制。方法SD大鼠随机分为三组:对照组(C组)、糖尿病组(D组)和糖尿病治疗组(M组,20mg.kg-1.d-1)。大鼠单侧肾脏切除后,腹腔注射链脲菌素(STZ)成糖尿病模型,对照组仅注射等量缓冲液。观察12周后,检测大鼠血糖(BG)、血尿素氮(BUN)、血肌酐(Scr)、肾脏肥大指数(肾重KW/体重BW)、肌酐清除率(Ccr)和24小时尿蛋白(24Upro)。肾组织做常规光镜和电镜检查,观察组织的形态结构。用免疫组织化学方法检测肾组织中巨噬细胞抗原(CD68)和增殖细胞核抗原(PCNA)的蛋白表达。用半定量RT-PCR的方法检测肾组织中单核细胞趋化蛋白-1(MCP-1)的mRNA的表达。结果与对照组相比,糖尿病组大鼠BG、KW/BW、24Upro、BUN、Scr、Ccr均显著上升(P<0.05或0.01);肾小球系膜区相对面积和肾小球基底膜厚度均显著增加(P<0.01);肾组织内CD68和PCNA的蛋白质表达和MCP-1的mRNA表达均显著上调(P<0.05或0.01)。在糖尿病治疗组,上述指标除血糖外都被显著抑制(P<0.05或0.01)。结论在糖尿病大鼠模型中,MMF能减少尿蛋白,对糖尿病肾病有保护作用,其机制可能与其抑制炎症因子-MCP-1的表达,下调CD68和PCNA的水平,减少肾组织单核/巨噬细胞的聚集有关。     

Assessment of synthetic chimeric multiple antigenic peptides for diagnosis of GB virus C infection

The use of synthetic peptides of both structural and nonstructural proteins of GB virus C (GBV-C) has been studied for the development of new systems to diagnose infection caused by this virus. In an attempt to increase the antigenicity of linear peptide sequences, chimeric multiple antigenic peptides (MAPs) containing epitopes from E2, NS4, and NS5 GBV-C proteins have been synthesized. The synthetic constructs were evaluated by ELISA to establish whether the epitopes in chimeric branched peptides are more efficiently recognized by the specific antibodies compared to the monomeric linear sequences. Moreover, we have investigated the application of a commercial biosensor instrument for the detection of antibodies against the GBV-C in human serum samples. The results of the immunoassays reported in this work highlight the usefulness of synthetic tetrameric branched peptides containing sequences from envelope and nonstructural GBV-C proteins for the diagnosis of GBV-C infection. The potential clinical value of the MAP₄(E2-NS5a) for the serodiagnosis of GBV-C infection was demonstrated, thus providing the basis for performing prevalence studies of the infection among the hemodialyzed and hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected population.     

Anthrax lethal toxin activates the inflammasome in sensitive rat macrophages

Anthrax lethal toxin (LT) is an important virulence factor for Bacillus anthracis. In mice, LT lyses macrophages from certain inbred strains in less than 2 h by activating the Nlrp1b inflammasome and caspase-1, while macrophages from other strains remain resistant to the toxin’s effects. We analyzed LT effects in toxin-sensitive and resistant rat macrophages to test if a similar pathway was involved in rat macrophage death. LT activates caspase-1 in rat macrophages from strains harboring LT-sensitive macrophages in a manner similar to that in toxin-sensitive murine macrophages. This activation of caspase-1 is dependent on proteasome activity, and sensitive macrophages are protected from LT’s lytic effects by lactacystin. Proteasome inhibition also delayed the death of rats in response to LT, confirming our previous data implicating the rat Nlrp1 inflammasome in animal death. Quinidine, caspase-1 inhibitors, the cathepsin B inhibitor CA-074Me, and heat shock also protected rat macrophages from LT toxicity. These data support the existence of an active functioning LT-responsive Nlrp1 inflammasome in rat macrophages. The activation of the rat Nlrp1 inflammasome is required for LT-mediated rat macrophage lysis and contributes to animal death.     

Consequences of the expression of sialylated antigens in breast cancer

Changes in cell surface glycosylation are common modifications that occur during oncogenesis, leading to the over-expression of tumour-associated carbohydrate antigens (TACA). Most of these antigens are sialylated and the increase of sialylation is a well-known feature of transformed cells. In breast cancer, expression of TACA such as sialyl-Lewis^x or sialyl-Tn is usually associated with a poor prognosis and a decreased overall survival of patients. However, the specific role of these sialylated antigens in breast tumour development and aggressiveness is not clearly understood. These glycosylation changes result from the modification of the expression of genes encoding specific glycosyltransferases involved in glycan biosynthesis and the level of expression of sialyltransferase genes has been proposed to be a prognostic marker for the follow-up of breast cancer patients. Several human cellular models have been developed in order to explain the mechanisms by which carbohydrate antigens can reinforce breast cancer progression and aggressiveness. TACA expression is associated with changes in cell adhesion, migration, proliferation and tumour growth. In addition, recent data on glycolipid biosynthesis indicate an important role of G_D3 synthase expression in breast cancer progression. The aim of this review is to summarize our current knowledge of sialylation changes that occur in breast cancer and to describe the cellular models developed to analyze the consequences of these changes on disease progression and aggressiveness.     

Synthesis of the pentasaccharide repeating unit of Escherichia coli O128 antigen

A pentasaccharide, 4-methoxyphenyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→4)-α-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→3)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→6)-[α-l-fucopyranosyl-(1→2)]-β-d-galactopyranoside (1), representing the repeating unit of Escherichia coli O128 antigen, was successfully prepared in 23% overall yield via a convergent ‘2+3’ glycosylation strategy.     

Dendritic cell-derived TNF-α is responsible for development of IL-10-producing CD4 T cells

Immature dendritic cells (DCs) appear to be involved in peripheral immune tolerance via induction of IL-10-producing CD4⁺ T cells. We examined the role of TNF-α in generation of the IL-10-producing CD4⁺ T cells by immature DCs. Immature bone marrow-derived DCs from wild type (WT) or TNF-α^−/− mice were cocultured with CD4⁺ T cells from OVA specific TCR transgenic mice (OT-II) in the presence of OVA_323-339 peptide. The WT DCs efficiently induced the antigen-specific IL-10-producing CD4⁺ T cells, while the ability of the TNF-α^−/− DCs to induce these CD4⁺ T cells was considerably depressed. Addition of exogenous TNF-α recovered the impaired ability of the TNF-α^−/− DCs to induce IL-10-producing T cells. However, no difference in this ability was observed between TNF-α^−/− and WT DCs after their maturation by LPS. Thus, TNF-α appears to be critical for the generation of IL-10-producing CD4⁺ T cells during the antigen presentation by immature DCs.     

Taenia crassiceps cysticerci: Characterization of the 14-kDa glycoprotein with homologies to antigens from Taenia solium cysticerci

Glycoproteins from the total vesicular fluid of Taenia crassiceps (VF-Tc) were prepared using three different purification methods, consisting of ConA-lectin affinity chromatography (ConA-Tc), preparative electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) (14gp-Tc), and monoclonal antibody immunoaffinity chromatography (18/14-Tc). The complex composition represented by the VF-Tc and ConA-Tc antigens revealed peptides ranging from 101- to 14-kDa and from 92- to 12-kDa, respectively. Immunoblotting using lectins confirmed glucose/mannose (glc/man) residues in the 18- and 14-kDa peptides, which are considered specific and immunodominant for the diagnosis of cysticercosis, and indicated that these fractions are glycoproteins. Serum antibodies from a patient with neurocysticercosis that reacted to the 14gp band from T. crassiceps (Tc) were eluted from immunoblotting membranes and showed reactivity to 14gp from Taenia solium. In order to determine the similar peptide sequence, the N-terminal amino acid was determined and analyzed with sequences available in public databases. This sequence revealed partial homology between T. crassiceps and T. solium peptides. In addition, mass spectrometry along with theoretical M_r and pI of the 14gp-Tc point suggested a close relationship to some peptides of a 150-kDa protein complex of the T. solium previously described. The identification of these common immunogenic sites will contribute to future efforts to develop recombinant antigens and synthetic peptides for immunological assays.     

Evaluation of the antigenic value of recombinant Toxoplasma gondii HSP20 to detect specific immunoglobulin G antibodies in Toxoplasma infected humans

Recombinant Toxoplasma gondii small heat shock protein HSP20, surface antigen SAG1 and dense granule GRA7 were analyzed by IgG-ELISA with serum samples of Toxoplasma infected humans grouped as I (IgG+, IgM+), II (IgG+, IgM−) and III (IgG−, IgM−). rHSP20 reacted against 80% and 62.5% of serum samples from groups I and II, respectively. rSAG1 was recognized by 85% of the samples from group I and 70.8% from group II, whereas rGRA7 was recognized by 85% and 66.6% of the serum samples from groups I and II, respectively. When a combination of two or three recombinant antigens was used, the sensitivity values improved to 85-95% for group I and 87.5-91.7% for group II. All combinations tested produced similar reactivity profiles. None of the recombinant proteins reacted against group III serum samples. In conclusion, we demonstrated that T. gondii HSP20 elicits an important B-cell response during human infection, and could be suitable for the development of serodiagnosis tools.