0 05) However, the positive expression of SSX genes in the PBMC had close correlation with prognosis of HCC patients Metastasis and/or recurrence took place in 50% (8 out of l6) patients with positive expression of SSX genes in their PBMC,while only 10 5% (2 out of l9) patients with negative expression of SSX genes in their PBMC developed metastasis and/or recurrence ( P =0 028) Conclusion SSX genes mRNA may be used as specific tumor markers for the detection of the circulating HCC cells

Objective To investigate the pathogenetic role of endogenous angiotensin Ⅱ (AngⅡ) in the mechanism of stress ulcer in obstructive jaundice rats and to detect the effect of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) on stress ulcer in obstructive jaundice rats. Methods After common bile duct ligation (CBDL) in Wistar rats, the content of plasma and gastric mucosal AngⅡ, gastric mucosal blood flow (GMBF) and gastric mucosal damage were measured, and the relationship among them was analyzed.Results The plasma AngⅡ contents increased much more significantly at 1, 3, 7 and 14 days following CBDL than those in non-CBDL rats (P<0.05, <0.01, <0.01 and <0.01, respectively). Within 120 minutes following cold-restraint stress, plasma and gastric mucosal AngⅡ contents were elevated, GMBF decreased, and ulcer index and gastric mucosal damage increased more significantly than those in non-cold-restraint stress rats (P<0.05, <0.05, <0.01, <0.01 and <0.05, respectively). Administration of an ACEI, enalaprili, to CBDL rats (5 mg*kg-1*day-1, orally for two days) before stress reduced both the plasma and gastric mucosal AngⅡ levels, inhibited the decrease of GMBF and decreased ulcer index and gastric mucosal damage (P<0.001, <0.01, <0.01, <0.01 and <0.05, respectively).Conclusion The endogenous AngⅡ plays a significant pathogenetic role in the development of stress ulcer in obstructive jaundice rats, and ACEI may prevent stress ulcer.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the possibility of using melanoma antigen-1 (MAGE-1) peptide as a tumor vaccine to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODSThe expressions of MAGE-1 in 8 HCC cell lines and in liver cancer tissue from a patient were detected using RT-PCR. The type of human leucocyte antigen I(HLA I) of both 8 HCC cell lines and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of the patient was detected using a microcytotoxicity method to screen out target cell lines for the cytotoxicity assay. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from the HCC patient pulsed with an MAGE-1 peptide (NYKCRFPEI) were used as antigen presenting cells. Autogenous peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulated with antigen presenting cells every 7 days for 4 times to elicit cytotoxic T lymphocytes. The phenotype of effector cells was analyzed using flow cytometry. The cytotoxicity of effector cells was detected with a lactate dehydrogenase releasing assay.

RESULTSThe expressions of both MAGE-1 and HLA-A24 were detected in BEL7405 cell line which were used as the positive target cell line in the cytotoxicity assay. The expression of MAGE-1 alone was detected in HLE, BEL7402, BEL7404, QGY7703 and SMMC7721 cell lines, and the expression of neither MAGE-1 nor HLA-A24 was shown in QGY 7701 and HpG2 cell lines. The last 7 cell lines could be used as negative target cell lines in the cytotoxicity assay. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells expanded 32 folds during 28-day culture. The ratio of CD3(+) T cells increased by 16% (from 54% to 70%), and the ratio of CD8(+) T cells increased by 20% (from 36% to 56%) during 28-day culture. When the ratio of effector cells to target cells was 10:1, effector cells exhibited 62.5% cytotoxicity against autogenous lymphoblasts pulsed with the peptide (NYKCRFPEI) of MAGE-1 antigen, 40.25% cytotoxicity against BEL7405 cells, compared with 17.88% cytolysis observed against autogenous lymphoblasts, 19.55% against HLE cells, and 1.6% against QGY7701 cells. When the ratio of effector cells to target cells was 3.3:1, the cytotoxicity of effector cells against the peptide pulsed autogenous lymphoblasts was 53.6%, which was much higher against autogenous lymphoblasts, HLE cells and QGY7701 cells at 15.6%, 13% and 1%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe results demonstrate that cytotoxic T lymphocytes with the ability to specifically lyse target cells expressing both MAGE-1 and HLA-A24 could be successfully induced by the MAGE-1 peptide NYKCRFPEI in vitro. This indicates that a good result might be anticipated if this peptide is used as a tumor vaccine to treat HLA-A24 HCC patients.

Adult ; Antigens, Neoplasm ; Cancer Vaccines ; immunology ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; immunology ; HLA-A Antigens ; analysis ; HLA-A24 Antigen ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; immunology ; Male ; Melanoma-Specific Antigens ; Neoplasm Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic ; immunology ; Tumor Cells, Cultured