Objective To explore the level of Th2 type cytokines including IL-4, IL-10 and IL-13, and the immunoreg-ulation of cytokines in patients with neurocysticercosis. Methods Lymphocytes in patients with neurocysticercosis were separated from the blood sample with density gradient centrifugation and the total RNA was extracted by guanidine isothiocynate method. cDNA was synthesized by reversed transcription reaction. The target gene was then amplified by PCR. The PCR products were analyzed by electrophoresis. Results Results of RT-PCR showed that cytokines mRNA in lymphocytes of peripheral blcod were detected in 27 patients with neurocysticercosis but not in the other 3 cases. Among the positive cases, mRNA of IL-4, IL-10 and IL-13 was detected in 16, 17 and 14 cases respectively and mRNA of IL-4, IL-10 and/or IL-13 was detected in all the 27 cases. In the detection of lymphocytes in peripheral blcod of 10 healthy subjects, expression of IL-4 and IL-10 was found in only one case at low level. Conclusion The study revealed that Th2 associated cytokines were expressed at high level and the humoral immunocompetence was relatively strong in patients with neurocysticercosis.

Objective To understand the effect of anti-cysticercus therapy for patients with cerebral cysticercosis and the changes of cysticercus on CT image after treatment. Methods The patients with cerebral cysticercosis were classified by the presentation of their brain CT image before treatment, then the effect of anti-cysticercus therapy on them after treatment was analyzed and the presentations of their brain CT images between before and after treatment were compared. Results There were different changes on CT image of cysticercus in brain tissues after anti-cysticercus therapy for different types of patients with cerebral cysticercosis. Type Ⅰ: the focus was absorbed completely after treatment in the majority of patients and calcificated in the minority. Almost all the patients were cured clinically after anticysticercus therapy. Type Ⅱ: the focus was absorbed completely in the minority, and one to two or more calcification dots were observed in the majority of patients. Anti-cysticercus therapy was effective. Type Ⅲ and Ⅳ: the absorption of focus was not very good and the effect of anti-cysticercus therapy was lower relatively. Conclusion The changes of CT image such as absorption, calcification, has important significance in forecasting prognosis and instructing clinical usage.

OBJECTIVETo probe the significance of specific IgG4 in sera of patients with cerebral cysticercosis for diagnosis and therapeutic evaluation.

METHODSSpecific IgG4 in sera of patients with cerebral cysticercosis was assessed using colloidal gold-labeled mouse-anti-human IgG4 McAb as probe. The results were compared with the CT image manifestation.

RESULTSThe specific IgG4 positive rate in sera of patients with cerebral cysticercosis was 97.8%, whereas sera from patients with other kinds of parasitosis or central nerve system disease and the control group were all negative, except for a weak cross-reaction of sera from patients with hepatic echinococoosis. The determination of specific IgG4 in sera of patients with cerebral cysticercosis during different times of treatment showed that along with an increase in treatment time and improvement of clinical symptoms, specific IgG4 level gradually decreased. The positive rate and intensity of specific IgG4 in sera from patients with cerebral cysticercosis were consistent with the number of cysticercus parasites in the brain and pathologic changes, such as survival, disintegration, death and calcification. Survival of cysticercus in the brain was objectively evaluated using this technique.

CONCLUSIONSThe determination of specific IgG4 in sera is a practical method for diagnosis and therapeutic evaluation of cerebral cysticercosis.

Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; immunology ; Antibody Specificity ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; immunology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Neurocysticercosis ; blood ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Objective To analyze the genotypes and homology of MSP?1 and CSP gene of Plasmodium vivax in Shandong Province,so as to provide the evidence for case traceability. Methods A total of 12 blood samples were collected from P. vivax?infected cases in Shandong Province in 2011. Parasite genomic DNA was extracted. Primers were designed according to MSP?1 and CSP gene sequences of P. vivax. Then Nested PCR,enzyme digestion,sequencing and sequence alignment,and homolo?gous analysis were performed. Results The MSP?1 gene of all the 12 samples from P. vivax?infected cases were detected with a 470 bp PCR amplification band,and 350 bp and 120 bp enzyme digestion fragments,which were identified as type Sal?1. An analysis of phylogenetic tree of MSP?1 gene showed that the sequences of 9 indigenous case samples in Shandong Province were located in the same branch,one case sample infected from India was located in the same branch with India strains. All the 12 P. vivax?infected samples covered GDRA(D/A)GQPA sequences in CSP gene,which were identified as type PV?Ⅰ. Of the CSP gene among 12 P. vivax?infected samples,10 samples of indigenous case in Shandong Province and one sample of the case in?fected in Guangdong Province were detected with both 560-840 bp and 150-230 bp PCR amplification bands,which were iden?tified as temperate zone family strain of type PV?Ⅰ. However,one sample from the case infected in India was detected only with a 560-840 bp band,which was identified as tropical zone family strain of PV?Ⅰ. An analysis of phylogenetic tree of CSP gene showed that the sequences of 10 samples from the indigenous cases in Shandong Province and one sample from the case infected in Guangdong Province were located in the same branch,one sample from the case infected in India was located in the same branch with India and Indonesia strains. Conclusion Of all the indigenous isolates in Shandong Province,MSP?1 gene is geno?typed type Sal?1,CSP gene is genotyped temperate zone family strain of type PV?Ⅰ,with a high homology found among the in?digenous isolates.