Objective To evaluate the applied value of functional immunity measured by the ImmunKnow assay in the diagnosis of post-transplant infection in Chinese 1iver recipients.Methods Thirty-eight normal adults and 68 adult liver transplant recipients were under investigation.Whole blood samples from either normal volunteers(each sample for one person)or the liver recipients(one or more samples for one person)were collected freshly and cultured within 6h.The CD4+T cells were selected and their ATP value was assayed the next day.The liver recipients were grouped in stable status(n=52)or infection(n=64)according tO their clinieal manifestation.Results The average ATP value in the recipients with infection after liver transplantation was 165.7±100 μg/L,significantly lower(P＜0.05)than that in stable recipients(309±126 μg/L)or normal volunteers (292±83 μg/L).The low ATP levels in post-transplant recipients had fair good correlation to infection clinically(RR=0.5021,P＜0.01).Infectious risk was high when ATP value was less than 165μg/L(OR=11,95%CI 3.9-32.2,P＜0.01).Specificity and sensitivity of low ATP value in post-transplant infection were 86.53%and 73.81% respectively,Conclusion ImmuKnow assay provides a new tool in monitoring immune status in post-transplant recipients,and call helpfully predict and diagnose clinical infection.

This study was designed to investigate the effects of polyamines on mechanical contraction and voltage-dependent calcium current (VDCC) of guinea-pig gastric smooth muscle. Mechanical contraction and calcium channel current (I(Ba)) were recorded by isometric tension recording and whole-cell patch clamp technique. Spermine, spermidine and putrescine inhibited spontaneous contraction of the gastric smooth muscle in a concentration-dependent manner. Spermine (2 mM) reduced high K+ (50 mM)-induced contraction to 16+/-6.4% of the control (n=9), and significantly inhibited I(Ba) in a reversible manner (p<0.05; IC50=0.8 mM). Pre- and post-treatment of tissue with spermine (2-5 mM, n=10) also inhibited acetylcholine (10 micrometer)-induced phasic contraction to 5+/-6.4% of the control. Inhibitory effect of spermine on I(Ba) was observed at a wide range of test potentials of current/voltage (I/V) relationship (p<0.05), and steady-state activation of I(Ba) was shifted to the right by spermine (p<0.05). Spermidine and putrescine (1 mM each) also inhibited I(Ba) to 51+/-5.7% and 81+/-5.3% of the control, respectively. And putrescine (1 mM) inhibited I(Ba) at whole tested potentials (p<0.05) without significant change of kinetics (p<0.05). Finally, 5 mM putrescine also inhibited high K+ -induced contraction to 53+/-7.1% of the control (n=4). These findings suggest that polyamines inhibit contractions of guinea-pig gastric smooth muscle via inhibition of VDCC.
Pyloric Antrum/*drug effects/physiology ; Potassium/pharmacology ; Polyamines/*pharmacology ; Muscle, Smooth/*drug effects/physiology ; Muscle Contraction/*drug effects ; Male ; Guinea Pigs ; Female ; Calcium Channels/drug effects/physiology ; Calcium/metabolism ; Animals