Objective To explore the relationship between tumor necrosis factor (TNF) gene polymorphisms in donors and recipients and the incidence and severity of acute graft-versus-host diseases (aGVHD) after unrelated allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alIo-HSCT). Methods Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of TNFα-238 (G/A), TNFα-857 (C/T), TNFα-863 (C/A), TNFα-1031 (T/C), TNFβ + 252 (A/G) were analyzed by Multiplex SNaPshot analysis in 76 pairs of donors and recipients. Results Transplantation involving donors with TNFα-857 CC genotype resulted in a higher incidence of grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD than donors with CT genotype (91.3% vs 8. 7% , P =0. 039). In the 23 patients with grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD, no patients had TNFβ +252 AA genotype, 19 (82.6%) had GA genotype and 4 (17.4%) had GG genotype. There was a significant difference in the distribution pattern of the TNFβ +252 (AA, GA and GG) genotypes in these patients (P =0.03). There was no significant association of TNFα-238 (G/A), TNFα-863 (C/A) and TNFα-1031 (T/C) polymorphisms with the risk of aGVHD. Conclusion These results suggest donor TNFα-857 CC genotype is related to a higher incidence of grade Ⅱ -Ⅳ aGVHD, and patients with TNFβ +252 AA genotype have protection against the risk of grade Ⅱ -Ⅳ aGVHD.

Objective To examine the brain metabolic changes in WD patients receiving copper chelation by us?ing 1H-MRS. Method Thirty-nine patients with WD was randomly divided into four groups: non-brain type group (18 cases), brain type prior-treatment group and short-term treatment group (21 cases), long-term treatment group (20 cases) from short-term treatment group, and 20 healthy volunteers served as a control group. 1H-MRS and MRI were performed on patients on 1.5/MR/MRS system to detect these above-mentioned items before and after treatment. Result The mean of NAA/Cr was significantly lower in the left putamen and head of the caudate nucleus than in the left basal ganglion in the 39 patients with WD. The mean of NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr in the left putamen and basal ganglion was significantly lower in non-brain type group than in control group(P<0.01). The mean of NAA/Cr Cho/Cr and NAA/Cho in the left putamen,head of the caudate nucleus and basal ganglion were significantly lower in brain type group than in control group(P<0.01 or P<0.05). The mean of NAA/Cr in the left putamen was much lower in brain type group than in non-brain type group (P<0.01). The mean of NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr and NAA/Cho of short-term treatment group in the left putamen, head of the caudate nucleus and basal ganglion was not significantly different between brain type group and short-term treatment group(P>0.05). The mean of NAA/Cr and NAA/Cho in the left putamen and basal ganglion was much higher in long-term treatment group than in brain type group(P<0.01 or P<0.05). The mean of Cho/Cr in the left head of caudate nucleus were much higher after treatment compared with prior-treatment group(P<0.05). The mean of NAA/Cr in the left putamen, head of the left caudate nucleus and basal ganglion in all groups was negatively correlated with course of the disease. Conclusion There are significant differences in brain metabolism among different type of WD. The long-term but not short-term copper chelation significantly improves brain metabolism. NAA/Cr may be used as a non-invasive indicator to examine the efficacy of treatment.