Objective To investigate the role of T helper 17 cells/interleukin?17(Th17/IL?17) axis in the occurrence of vaginal candidiasis in mice. Methods A total of 120 female BALB/c mice were randomly and equally divided into Ei, En, Ci and Cn groups. Three days before vaginal inoculation, estrogen (Ei and En)groups and control(Ci and Cn)groups received subcutaneous injection of 0.05 mg estradiol and 0.1 ml sterilized soybean oil at the hind legs, respectively, and then the hormone treatment continued every other day until the end of experiment. Infected(Ei and Ci)groups and noninfected(En and Cn) groups were inoculated intravaginally with 10μl(5 × 104 conidia)of Candida albicans suspension and 10μl of sterilized phosphate?buffered saline, respectively. Ten mice were randomly selected from each group and sacrificed on day 3, 7 and 14 after inoculation. The intact vagina tissues were resected and then frozen in liquid nitrogen or embedded in paraffin. Real?time fluorescence?based quantitative PCR(qRT?PCR)and immunofluorescent staining were performed to measure mRNA expression and immunofluorescence intensities of retinoic acid?related orphan receptorγt(RORγt), RORα and IL?17, respectively. Western blot analysis was conducted to determine protein expression of RORγt and IL?17. Results Laser scanning confocal microscopy showed that RORγt, RORα and IL?17 immunofluorescence was mainly located at inflammatory cells of the lamina propria and blood vessels in En and Cn groups, at mucosal epithelium, adherent hyphae, and inflammatory cells of the lamina propria and blood vessels in Ci group, and at mucosal epithelium, vaginal canal and endocytosed hyphae, and inflammatory cells of the lamina propria and blood vessels in Ei group. qRT?PCR and immunofluorescent staining uncovered that mRNA expression and immunofluorescence intensities of RORγt, RORα and IL?17 were significantly higher in En, Ci and Ei groups than in Cn group at the same time points(all P<0.05), as well as in the Ei group than in En and Ci groups(both P<0.05), and were increased gradually over time in En, Ci and Ei groups, but not in the Cn group. Additionally, mRNA expression and immunofluorescence intensities of RORγt and RORαand IL?17 generally peaked on day 14 after inoculation, while the immunofluorescence intensity of IL?17 peaked on day 7 (P < 0.05). Western blot analysis revealed that protein expression of RORγt and IL?17 was significantly higher in the infected(Ei and Ci)groups than in the noninfected(En and Cn)groups at the same time points(RORγt:F=45.685, P<0.001;IL?17:F=29.655, P<0.01), and was highest in the Ei group(P<0.05);however, no significant differences were observed between Cn and En groups(both P>0.05). Moreover, RORγt and IL?17 protein expression in Ci and Ei groups was obviously up?regulated on day 7 after inoculation (RORγt: F = 13.137, P < 0.001; IL?17: F = 11.182, P < 0.001), but was not increased further on day 14. Conclusion Vaginal candida infection can up?regulate the expression of RORγt, RORα and IL?17, suggesting that Th17/IL?17 axis may be involved in the occurrence of vaginal candidiasis in BALB/c mice.

The anti-varicella-zoster virus (VZV) antibody titers were determined with the method of enzyme linked SPA in sera from 68 patients with herpe, zoster(HZ) and in sera from 35 controls. The results were as follows: In the first week after the onset of HZ, the VZV antibody titers were low in the majority of patients and there was a positive correlation with the severity of patient's pain, but no correlation with patient's age. The titers of VZV antibody were markedly elevated during the 2nd and 3rd week after disease onset, and in this period, there was a positive correlation with patient's age and severity of pain, i. e. higher titers of VZV antibody were usually found in older patients with more severe pain. In patients without postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), the titers of VZV antibody almost returned to normal level in 6 months after HZ episode, but in patients with PHN, the titers of this antibody still remained in high level after 1 to 2 years, which showed that there was a close relation between the PHN and VZV antibody. The VZV antibodies in control group were negative or within normal range.

In the paper,a modified ELISA was first developed for the detection of antibody to Ureaplasma urealyticum(UU) in clinical specimens. Antibody to UU in serum of patient was detected by indirect ELISA. In comparison with metabolism inhibition test(MIT), of 22 UU culture-positive individuals, 21 were positive by ELISA and 22 by the MIT with an overall agreement of 95. 5%. IgG antibodies to UU were found in 93.8% and IgM in 30.8% of 81 UU culture-positive patients,whereas IgG antibodies in 2. 5% and IgM in 3.7% of the UU culture-negative group by ELISA. Meantime,serovartype-specific antibody could not be detected by ELISA with type-specific antigen, the cross-reaction might be due to the presence of homogeneous antigens among UU species.

To evaluate the relationship between the family atopic history(FAH) and clinical,labo- ratory parameters and diagnosis in patients with atopic dermatitis(AD).One hundred and fifty-eight AD patients were included in this study and the patients were divided into two groups,89 eases (56.3%) with FAH and 69 cases(43.7%) without FAH.The personal and family atopie history,the distribution and morphology of the lesions,five associated clinical manifestations and laboratory tests were per- formed in 158 cases with AD.In comparison of the patients with FAH with the cases without FAH,the age of onset in AD patients under two years was 92.1% and 84.1%,respectively;persistent course, 55.1% and 43.5%;the average time of intermittent course,5.7 years and 9.6 years;the age of onset of respiratory tract allergy(AR),4.1 years and 6.2 years in cases with asthma,8.8 years and 11.1 years in allergic rhinitis (R).The morbidity of asthma in patients with personal and family atopic history was higher and it was higher in Ⅰ and Ⅱ generation also.The levels of serum IgE in AD patients with per- sonal and family history of AR were higher than those in without AR history(P

Gene mutation is known to play an important role in carcinogenesis.There are two types of p53 gene,wild-type and mutant-type.In order to observe the relationship between p53 gene mutation and cutaneous squarnous epithelial ceil tumours,immunohistochemical study was carried out for p53 ex- pression in the epidermis from 29 patients with cutaneous squamous epithelial cell tumouts using a new immunohistochemical technique labelled streptavidin biotin system.The results showed that p53 positive staining was only confined to areas of atypical proliferation of epithelia in 3/6 cases of actinic keratosis. 6/10 cases of Bowen's disease and 8/13 cases of squamous cell carcinoma showed that p53 positive staining was seen throughout the tumour.It is suggested that p53 gene mutation might play an impor- tant role in cutaneous squamous epithlial cell tumour formation.

Prostaglandin E_1 (PGE_1) has been proven to be effective in the treatment of chronic skin ulcers and wounds.To elucidate the possible mechanism involved,normal human keratinocytes and der- mal fibroblasts were cultured with PGE_1.Cell proliferation was measured by MTT assay and cytokine production by enzyme-linked immunosobent assay (ELISA).The results revealed that keratinocytes produced IL-1?,IL-8,TGF? and PDGF,while dermal fihroblasts produced IL-6 and IL-8,suggesting dif- ferent kinds of cytokine production between keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts.PGE_1 promoted IL-6 and IL-8 production in dermal fibroblasts but not in keratinocytes.Moreover,PGE_1 promoted cell prolif- eration in dermal fibroblasts but not in keratinocytes,suggesting that dermal fibroblasts are more sensi- tive than keratinocytes to PGE_1 and that the therapeutic effects of topical PGE_1 on skin ulcer or wound may mainly be mediated by its effects on dermal fibroblasts.

To study the etiology and pathogenesis of seasonal contact dermatitis (SG),some skin tests including pollen allergen patch test were performed in 43 cases of SG.Sixty-two patients with al- lergic contact dermatitis(NSG) and 50 healthy individual(HG) were used as control.The results showed that the level and positivity rate of total serum IgE in SG,and the positivity rate of specific IgE,pollen allergen prick test and patch test in SG were higher than those in NSG and HG.The speeific IgE,pollen allergen prick test and pollen allergen patch test were significantly correlated,and showed high consis- tency.These results indieate that the pathogenesis of seasonal contact dermatitis he obviously associated with pollen allergen-induced IgE-mediated late-phase reaction.

This paper first reports on systemic lupus erythematosus with galactorrhea.From May 1994 to April 1995,we checked 48 female in-patients,in whom we found 9 cases,aged from 20 to 45 years,with various degrees of galactorrhea.The serum prolactin levels of 9 cases with galactorrhea were 45.86?28.84ng/ml and those of the rest 39 cases without galactorrhea were 21.43?14.92ng/ml,P

Immunoblotting(IB) technique has been frequently used to detect bullous pemphigoid (BP) antibodies in BP patient.It is important to extract the antigen proteins fully and intactly in the base membrane zone(BMZ) of normal human epidermis.The simple method of extracting antigens will make IB techniqne easy.Three different methods of extracting antigen proteins were compared.Using IB for detecting BP antibodies,it has been found that the results of epidermal extract preparations are basically similar.However,one of these methods (NO.1) is more convenient and may obtain more amounts of antigens.Another method(No.3) is identical to that of extracting antigens in dermis for de- tecting epidermolysis bullosa acquista (EBA) antibodies.Therefore,in using IB technique to distinguish BP from EBA,one can apply method No.3.

The effect of povidone iodine solution(PIS)on the metabolic activity of Candida albi- cans and the effect of PIS treated C.altn'cans to cultured human keratinocytes were studied by using the Alamar blue fluorescence assay.It was found that PIS inhibited the metabolic activity of Candida albi- cans with a dose-dependent manner,and that the LD_(50)of PIS for Candida albicans is 0.075%.After treating for 30 min by 2% PIS/PBS(-),Candida albicans almost lost the adherence and invasion to the cultured human keratinocytes,the wall of yeast cells became uneven and shrunken,the intracellular structures became obviously indistinct,and the yeasts could not develop to hypha form.Candida albi- cans,treated with 2% PIS in PBS(-)for 30 min or with 10% PIS Sabouraud's liquid medium for 33 hr,did not form colony when it was inoculated to Sabouraud's dextrose agar.This result suggests that the fungicidal effective of PIS is influenced by its solvent.