Objective The aim of this study is to investigate CD+8 natural killer T cell receptors NKG2D and NKG2A expression in peripheral blood of patients with lung cancer and discuss the relation between imbalance expression of NKG2A and NKG2D and tumor immune escape. Methods Flow cytometry was used to determine the percentage of NKG2D and NKG2A-expressing of CD+8 NKT cells in peripheral blood of 95 untreated lung cancer patients and 50 healthy controls. Results NKG2D was lower expressed on CD+8 NKT in lung cancer, the level of NKG2D in patients (77.07±5.77) % was significantly lower than that in the controls (84.13±4.49) % (t =8.14, P <0.05). In the TNM stage, the level of NKG2D in patients of Ⅰ-ⅢA, ⅢB, Ⅳ stage were (81.07±5.02) %, (76.95 ±4.70)%, (72.80±5.16) %, respectively, the level of NKG2D was significantly decreased in order (F =18.74, P <0.05). NKG2A was expressed higher on CD+8 NKT in lung cancer, the level of NKG2A in patients (33.58±8.82) % was significantly higher than that in the controls (25.31 ±8.38) % (t =-5.46, P<0.05). In the TNM stage, the level of NKG2A in patients of Ⅰ - Ⅲ A, ⅢB, Ⅳ stage were (25.10±6.93) %, (33.24±3.76) %, (43.64±6.10) %, respectively, the level of NKG2A was significantly increased in order (F =75.73,P <0.05). Conclusion Imbalance expression of NKG2A and NKG2D may restrain the function of CD+8 NKT cell of lung cancer patients in peripheral blood and that may be one of important factors in tumor immunological escape.

The infection process of Exserohilum monoceras and alteration of cellar ultrastructure in infected barnyardgrass were observed by using scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. The observation showed that the hypha began to form from the basal point of the conidia 8 hours after inoculation (HAI) and then penetrated barn-yardgrass leaves through stornata 13 HAI. The infection process finished from 24 to 26 HAI. After infected, cell membranes of the host were dramatically changed; starch particles disappeared in chloroplasts and lots of phenolic compounds occurred in the infected cells.

The oncogenic product of BCR-ABL is an abnormal tyrosine kinase that causes chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). With further research into the pathogenesis of CML, the discovery of compounds that selectively inhibit abnormal BCR-ABL tyrosine kinases is a research focus worthy of attention. The first three generations of BCR-ABL inhibitors are orthosteric inhibitors, which competitively block the binding of ABL protein tyrosine kinase to ATP and prevent it from activating downstream signals. The fourth-generation BCR-ABL inhibitors allosterically inhibit ABL protein tyrosine kinase by binding to the myristoyl pocket, providing greater selectivity and maintaining activity against drug-resistant mutations proteins. Novel drug design strategies such as proteolytic targeting chimera (PROTAC), covalent inhibitors and dual targeting inhibitors also provide new directions for the development of BCR-ABL kinase inhibitors. This paper reviews recent research advances on BCR-ABL kinase inhibitors and discusses drug design strategies for various novel BCR-ABL inhibitors.

OBJECTIVETo analyse the distribution, drug resistance and epidemiology of pathogenic bacteria in the burn wards of Ruijin Hospital.

METHODSSeventeen strains of Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), 52 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA), and 11 strains of Acinetobacter baumannii (AB) isolated from the wound secretion, venous catheters, blood, urine and stool etc. were collected from burn patients hospitalized in our department from January 2004 to December 2006. The distribution and the drug resistance profile of bacteria were analyzed, and the homology analysis was performed by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD).

RESULTSMRSA, PA and AB were the major strains in our burn wards in recent years, of which Staphylococcus aureus (SA) was the most dominant. During these 3 years, MRSA accounted for 77% (63/82), 85% (63/74), and 75% (74/99), respectively, for SA isolated in this period. MRSA was resistant to Amikacin, Gentamicin, Erythromycin, Clindamycin and Levofloxacin; PA was resistant to Amikacin, Gentamicin, Piperacillin, Ceftazidime, Cefoperazone, Aztreonam and Imipenem; AB was resistant to Amikacin, Gentamicin, Piperacillin, Ceftazidime, Imipenem and Ciprofloxacin. Three bacteria were found to belong to the same type in the RAPD homology analysis.

CONCLUSIONSThere are many kind of multi-drug resistant pathogenic bacteria for nosocomial infection in our burn wards. To control the spread of infection due to above-mentioned 3 bacteria is the focus of nosocomial infection control.

Acinetobacter baumannii ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Burns ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Cross Infection ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial ; Genes, Bacterial ; Humans ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Molecular Epidemiology ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique ; Sequence Homology

Adult ; Female ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; blood ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Leptin ; blood ; Lipoproteins ; blood ; Liver Function Tests ; Male ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVETo investigate the function of luxS in sulfurmetabolism of Streptococcus mutans (Sm).

METHODSThe growth with absorbency (A) of the standards and mutant strains was measured and analyzed in the sulfur-limited defined medium at different periods. The laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) was used to observe and compare the biofilm thickness of the two kinds of strains at different culture conditions.

RESULTSThe significant increases in the thickness of mutant strain biofilm and its growth were observed after the addition of cysteine, but did not reach the standards strain levels (P < 0.05). The growth and the biofilm thickness of the mutant strains were (1.301 ± 0.009) and (45.009 ± 0.429) µm. When methionine and S-adenosylhomocysteine of certain concentrations were respectively added, the biofilm thickness and the growth of mutant strain were raised but did not reach the level of the standards strain at 24 h (P < 0.05), but at 48 h they did. When the methionine was added in the mutant strains for 24 h, the biofilm thickness and the growth of mutant strain were (0.448 ± 0.028) and (37.068 ± 2.392) µm, as for the adding of S-adenosylhomocysteine were (0.460 ± 0.005) and (27.343 ± 1.107) µm. When adding the supernatant fluid of standard strains, the biofilm thickness and the growth levels of mutant strain were much higher than those of the standards strain. The biofilm thickness and growth of both kinds of strains decreased after the addition of S-adenosylmethionine.

CONCLUSIONSluxS gene plays not only a role in quorum sensing but also a role in sulfurmetabolism.

Bacterial Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Biofilms ; growth & development ; Carbon-Sulfur Lyases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Culture Media ; Culture Techniques ; Cysteine ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial ; Methionine ; metabolism ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Quorum Sensing ; S-Adenosylhomocysteine ; metabolism ; S-Adenosylmethionine ; metabolism ; Streptococcus mutans ; genetics ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Sulfur ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo construct double gene deletions at the htrA and clpP loci on the chromosome of Streptococcus mutans (Sm) and to remove the antibiotic resistance markers with the Cre-loxP(*) site-specific recombination system.

METHODSThe htrA gene was cloned into the pGEM-T-Easy TA cloning vector and then inactivated via the insertion of a kanamycin resistance cassette (lox71-Km-lox66), yielding pGEM-T-ΔhtrA/Km for deleting the htrA gene. Using the same method, the pGEM-T-ΔclpP/Sp was constructed for deleting the clpP gene. Following the transformation of pGEM-T-ΔhtrA/Km in Sm, the homologous recombination event was selected. One such mutant was transformed with a cre expression plasmid (pCrePA). The kanamycin resistance gene was then excised. The pCrePA was then easily eliminated at nonpermissive temperatures, resulting in a mutant strain (MSΔhtrA) carrying a deletion at the htrA loci without a selectable marker. This mutant was verified by PCR and DNA sequencing. Then, the clpP and spectinomycin resistance gene were deleted from MSΔhtrA, yielding markerless mutant strain lacking clpP and htrA.

RESULTSThe deletion of htrA, clpP and antibiotic resistance markers were confirmed by PCR analysis and DNA sequencing.

CONCLUSIONSA mutant of Sm was constructed successfully which contained a deletion of the htrA and clpP gene without selectable marker. The Cre-loxP(*) system can be applied to Sm, which provides experimental evidence for generating markerless multiple gene deletion mutants.

Drug Resistance, Microbial ; genetics ; Gene Deletion ; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial ; Genes, Bacterial ; Genetic Vectors ; Integrases ; genetics ; Plasmids ; Streptococcus mutans ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo analyze the epidemiology of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in molecular level in burn centre of Shanghai Ruijin hospital.

METHODSThe vicissitude of Staphylococcus aureus in the burn centre from 2003 to 2005 was analyzed with software WHONET5. Multiprimer random amplified polymorphic DNA(RAPD) was used to analyze the homology of 17 MRSA strains.

RESULTSRAPD analysis (primer ERIC2 and RAPD7) showed that all 17 MRSA strains were identical (Burn-A type).

CONCLUSIONMRSA with same RAPD type is prevalent in our burn centre for many years, so emphasis should be laid on the anti-infection therapy and its cross infection control. Staphylococcus aureus;

Burn Units ; Humans ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; drug effects ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique ; Sequence Homology ; Staphylococcal Infections ; drug therapy ; microbiology

Objective To investigate the clinical significance of a new method,axis-line-distance technique(ALDT),in scoliosis measurement.Methods Thirty cases with idiopathic scoliosis were measured on two separate occasions by six observers with the Cobb technique and the ALDT on PACS workstation.The interval time between two measurement occasions were three weeks.The data were analyzed statistically with the paired-sample t-test.Results(1)Concerning intraobserver variance in two measurement occasions,the minimum variance,the maximum variance and the average variance were 0, 24.00?,5.71??1.54?for Cobb technique and 0,12.00 mm,(1.95?0.58)mm for ALDT.There were significant measurement differences for four observers with Cobb method 39.00??10.69?versus 36.50?? 10.63?,31.73??10.96?versus 37.30??9.65?,32.03??7.49?versus 27.86??9.00?,29.77??8.87? versus 34.20??7.26?,all P0.05].(2)Concerning interobserver variances in six observers,the average measurement variance was 5.07??0.35?for Cobb method,and(2.32?0.26)mm for ALDT. There were significant measurement differences for every observer using with Cobb method(36.63??10.30? versus 33.27??10.10?,39.00?10.69?versus 31.73??10.96?,32.03??7.49~ versus 29.78?? 8.87?,36.63??10.30?versus 39.00??10.69?versus 32.03??7.48?,39.00??10.69?versus 32.03?? 7.49?,all P

OBJECTIVETo determine the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings of an ovarian mass which are most predictive of malignancy and assess the value of intravenous gadolinium administration in the characterization of an ovarian mass.

METHODSTotally 74 consecutive patients with a clinically or sonographically indeterminate adnexal mass underwent MR imaging, of whom 59 had subsequent surgical resection of 70 adnexal masses. These 59 patients formed the study population. MR imaging studies were prospectively and independently reviewed by a senior and a junior radiologist. The senior radiologist also reevaluated the studies in a blind fashion after a minimum 6 months interval. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of contrast-enhanced and unenhanced MR imaging were evaluated.

RESULTSThe most predictive MR imaging findings for malignancy were presence of vegetations in a cystic lesion and presence of necrosis in a solid lesion. The odds ratio was even higher when the ancillary finding of peritoneal metastasis or ascites was present. Contrast media contributed significantly to lesion characterization. Total 70 ovarian masses were detected by contrast-enhanced MR imaging including 37 malignant ovarian masses and 33 benign ovarian masses with 87% (61/70) accuracy, 86% (32/37) sensitivity, 88% (29/33) specificity, 89% (32/36) positive predictive value, and 85% (29/34) negative predictive value, whereas 70 ovarian masses were detected by unenhanced MR imaging with 74% (52/70) accuracy, 73% (27/37) sensitivity, 76% (25/33) specificity, 77% (27/35) positive predictive value, and 71% (25/35) negative predictive value. There were significant differences in accuracy (P < 0.01), sensitivity (P < 0.01), specificity (P < 0.01) between contrast-enhanced and unenhanced MR imaging.

CONCLUSIONContrast-enhanced MR imaging is highly accurate in detection and characterization of complex adnexal masses.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Cystadenoma, Mucinous ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Image Enhancement ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Teratoma ; diagnosis ; pathology