多奈哌齐治疗阿尔兹海默症患者的临床剂量使用探讨

目的:评价多奈哌齐治疗阿尔兹海默症(AD)的疗效及疗效与用药剂量的关系,探讨检测血清中胰岛素样生长因子-I(IGF-I)来指导治疗剂量的可行性。方法:87例轻中度的AD患者,患者使用5 mg/d多奈哌齐疗效不佳。在增加剂量之前,根据血清胰岛素样生长因子-I(IGF-I)水平和简易智力状态检查表(MMSE)得分之间的一致性,将患者分为3组。A组:n=27,IGF-I≤99ng/m L,MMSE≤37;B组:n=33,IGF-I≤99 ng/m L,MMSE18;C组:n=27,IGF-I99 ng/m L,MMSE18。A、B组中,血清IGF-I水平显著低于C组。试验开始后将多奈哌齐的剂量从5 mg/d增加到10 mg/d,服用12周后,观察血清IGF-I水平同MMSE和阿尔兹海默症评定量表(ADAS)得分的相关性及三组患者的临床改善情况。结果:血清IGF-I水平同认知功能有明显相关性。IGF-I同MMSE正相关(r=0.478,P=0.036),IGF-I同ADAS得分负相关(r=-0.464,P=0.029)。增加多奈哌齐(10 mg/d)剂量治疗后,只有A组患者MMSE得到显著改善。A组患者对治疗的敏感性显著高于B、C组患者。结论:血清中IGF-I水平和MMSE分值可以做为一种标志物,判断对低剂量多奈哌齐(5 mg/d)无效的轻中度AD患者,能否采用高剂量多奈哌齐(10 mg/d)进行治疗。     

微生态制剂改善非酒精性脂肪性肝病患者胰岛素抵抗的临床研究

目的:观察美常安对非酒精性脂肪性肝病(NAFLD)患者临床症状及胰岛素抵抗(IR)的作用。方法:选取2009年4月至2013年3月我院收治的88例NAFLD患者,随机分为治疗组和对照组。对照组给予基础治疗,治疗组在对照组的基础上,加用美常安胶囊进行治疗。比较两组疗效及治疗前后两组血清谷丙转氨酶(ALT)、甘油三酯(TG)及稳态胰岛素抵抗指数(HOMA-IR)水平,并分析血浆D乳酸、TNF-α、内毒素与HOMA-IR的相关性,观察两组不良反应情况。结果:治疗组治疗有效率为52.3%,明显高于对照组的29.5%(P0.05)。治疗后治疗组ALT、TG、HOMA-IR下降幅度,均明显优于对照组(P0.05)。治疗后治疗组患者血浆D乳酸、TNF-α、内毒素水平明显低于对照组(P0.05),且治疗组患者HOMA-IR与患者血浆D乳酸、血清TNF-α、内毒素水平呈正相关(r=0.352,0.44,0.48;均P0.05)。不良反应发生率低,且两组不良反应发生率无显著差异(P0.05)。结论:美常安治疗NAFLD疗效显著,可降低ALT、TG水平,降低肠道通透性,改善肠源性内毒素血症,改善IR,且安全性较高。     

粪便乳铁蛋白评价溃疡性结肠炎活动性的临床价值

目的:探讨粪便乳铁蛋白作为溃疡性结肠炎活动性标志物的可能性。方法:选取溃疡性结肠炎患者42例,对照组炎症性肠病患者20例,采用酶联免疫吸附试验法测定粪便乳铁蛋白的含量,同时测定实验室指标白细胞计数、红细胞沉降率(ESR)、C反应蛋白(CPR)的水平。结果:1)溃疡性结肠炎组活动期粪便乳铁蛋白的含量显著高于缓解期和对照组,且活动期组轻、中、重度三级之间差异有统计学意义;粪便乳铁蛋白的含量随着内镜的分级程度的增高而增高,但与溃疡性结肠炎内镜分级之间相关性不明显r=0.4199(P=0.0517)。2)粪便乳铁蛋白对判断溃疡性结肠炎的活动性的特异性和敏感性显著高于外周血白细胞计数、C反应蛋白、红细胞沉降率。结论:粪便乳铁蛋白对溃疡性结肠炎活动性的判定价值显著高于白细胞计数、C反应蛋白、红细胞沉降率,但是否可以作为理想的替代肠镜的炎症性标志物还有待进一步的大样本研究。     

血管紧张素转换酶基因多态性与冠心病发病的相关关系

目的:从分子遗传学角度分析血管紧张素转换酶(ACE)基因I/D多态与中国北方汉族人群中冠心病发病的相关关系。方法:本研究收集在沈阳军区总医院心内科住院的行冠脉造影检查的病例为研究对象,冠脉动脉照影检查显示冠状动脉主支狭窄程度大于等于70%的入选为冠心病组,冠状动脉照影检查显示冠状动脉主支狭窄程度小于20%的为对照组,共入选568名冠心病患者以及性别与年龄相匹配的529名对照个体为研究对象,利用测序的方法分析检测血管紧张素转换酶(ACE)基因I/D多态在冠心病组与对照组中的频率分布情况。结果:血管紧张素转换酶(ACE)基因I/D多态基因型频率符合Hardy-Weinberg定律。血管紧张素转换酶(ACE)基因I/D多态(II型,ID型和DD型)在我们入选的568例冠心病组分布频率分别为50.3%,30.3%和19.4%,而在我们入选的524例对照组中的分布频率为57.7%,31.2%和11.1%,研究发现血管紧张素转换酶(ACE)基因I/D多态可能是中国北方汉族人群冠心病发病的独立危险因素(P0.05);利用多元回归分析发现,在调整了冠心病的其他危险因素后,血管紧张素转换酶(ACE)基因I/D多态的变化仍然是中国北方汉族人群冠心病发病一个独立危险因素,可以预测中国北方汉族人群冠心病的发生。结论:在中国北方汉族人群中,血管紧张素转换酶(ACE)基因I/D多态可能是冠心病发病的独立危险因素,在临床上可以早期预判冠心病的发生。     

Secretome analysis of virulent Pyrenophora teres f. teres isolates

Pyrenophora teres f. teres (Ptt) causes net form net blotch disease of barley, partially by producing necrosis‐inducing proteins. The protein profiles of the culture filtrates of 28 virulent isolates were compared by a combination of 2DE and 1D‐PAGE with 105 spots and 51 bands chosen for analysis by liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. A total of 259 individual proteins were identified with 63 of these proteins being common to the selected virulent isolates. Ptt secretes a broad spectrum of proteins including cell wall degrading enzymes; virulence factors and effectors; proteins associated with fungal pathogenesis and development; and proteins related to oxidation–reduction processes. Potential virulence factors and effectors identified included proteins with glucosidase activity, ricin B and concanavalin A‐like lectins, glucanases, spherulin, cutinase, pectin lyase, leucine‐rich repeat protein, and ceratoplatanin. Small proteins with unknown function but cysteine‐rich, common to effectors, were also identified. Differences in the secretion profile of the Ptt isolates have also provided important insight into the different mechanisms contributing to virulence and the development of net form net blotch symptoms.     

Targeting neuronal MAPK14/p38α activity to modulate autophagy in the Alzheimer disease brain

Dysregulated autophagic-lysosomal degradation of proteins has been linked to the most common genetic defect in familial Alzheimer disease, and has been correlated with disease progression in both human disease and in animal models. Recently, it was demonstrated that the expression of MAPK14/p38α protein is upregulated in the brain of APP-PS1 transgenic Alzheimer mouse and further that genetic deficiency of Mapk14 in the APP-PS1 mouse stimulates macroautophagy/autophagy, which then leads to reduced amyloid pathology via increasing autophagic-lysosomal degradation of BACE1. The findings resolve at least in the context of the APP-PS1 mouse, prior conflicting in vitro observations that have implicated MAPK14 in autophagic processes, and indicate that inhibition of MAPK14 enzyme activity has potential as a therapeutic approach to mitigate a critical physiological defect within neurons of the Alzheimer disease brain. Moreover, the findings suggest that biomarkers of BACE1 activity could be utilized to evaluate the effects of MAPK14 inhibition and other autophagy-inducing therapeutic approaches in human clinical studies, thereby potentially facilitating the clinical development of such agents.     

Mitigation of reversible self-association and viscosity in a human IgG1 monoclonal antibody by rational,structure-guided Fv engineering

Undesired solution behaviors such as reversible self-association (RSA), high viscosity, and liquid-liquid phase separation can introduce substantial challenges during development of monoclonal antibody formulations. Although a global mechanistic understanding of RSA (i.e., native and reversible protein-protein interactions) is sufficient to develop robust formulation controls, its mitigation via protein engineering requires knowledge of the sites of protein-protein interactions. In the study reported here, we coupled our previous hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry findings with structural modeling and in vitro screening to identify the residues responsible for RSA of a model IgG1 monoclonal antibody (mAb-C), and rationally engineered variants with improved solution properties (i.e., reduced RSA and viscosity). Our data show that mutation of either solvent-exposed aromatic residues within the heavy and light chain variable regions or buried residues within the heavy chain/light chain interface can significantly mitigate RSA and viscosity by reducing the IgG's surface hydrophobicity. The engineering strategy described here highlights the utility of integrating complementary experimental and in silico methods to identify mutations that can improve developability, in particular, high concentration solution properties, of candidate therapeutic antibodies.     

Valosin-containing protein (VCP): structure,functions, and implications in neurodegenerative diseases

Valosin-containing protein (VCP) is a hexameric protein belonging to the type II AAA+ (ATPases Associated with diverse cellular Activities) protein family. VCP governs multiple cellular processes and its diverse functions are determined by its interaction with a wide variety of partners and cofactors. Recently, mutations in VCP were suggested to cause inclusion body myopathy associated with Paget disease of bone and frontotemporal dementia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Huntington’s disease. However, the pathogenic mechanisms of VCP mutations in these diseases are still largely unknown. In this review, we summarize the structure and cellular functions of VCP, especially focusing on apoptosis and two major cellular degradation pathways, the ubiquitin–proteasome system and autophagy. We also list the representative VCP mutations and discuss their potential association with neurodegenerative diseases.