OBJECTIVEAngiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) has been identified as a functional receptor of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), so its gene was cloned and eukaryotic expressed for further insight into mechanisms in SARS-CoV entry and pathogenesis, as well as development of a safe and reliable neutralization assay for SARS-CoV.

METHODSTotal RNA was extracted from right atrial tissue of a patient with right heart failure resected during a valvular replacement surgery by Trizol one-step method, and the full-length ACE-2 encoding gene was acquired by RT-nested-PCR. The ACE-2 encoding gene was then cloned into pcDNA4/HisMax-TOPO eukaryotic expression vector to construct the recombinant plasmid pcDNA4/ ACE-2, which was then transfected into 293 T cell and ACE-2 eukaryotic transient expression was detected by Western Blot. Syncytia inhibition assay was established to detect SARS-CoV neutralizing antibody, and compared parallelly with SARS pseudovirus neutralization assay.

RESULTSThe recombinant plasmid pcDNA4/ ACE-2 could express ACE-2 protein in eukaryotic cells and induce cell-cell fusion between S protein- and ACE2-expressing cells. This cell-cell fusion assay could be used to detect SARS-CoV neutralizing antibody.

CONCLUSIONSARS-CoV receptor ACE-2 gene was successfully cloned and eukaryotic expressed, and used to establish syncytia inhibition assay for SARS-CoV neutralizing antibody assay.

Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Line ; Cercopithecus aethiops ; Cloning, Molecular ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Neutralization Tests ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; Plasmids ; genetics ; Receptors, Virus ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; SARS Virus ; immunology ; metabolism ; Transfection ; Vero Cells

OBJECTIVESTo study the effect of using lamivudine to prevent fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

METHODS164 patients were randomly put into a conventional supporting treatment control group and a lamivudine treatment group. In the latter, 82 patients were given lamivudine orally at a dose of 100 mg every day besides the support care which was also given to the control group.

RESULTSThe rate of deterioration to chronic severe hepatitis in the lamivudine treatment group was significantly lower than that of the control group (23.2% vs. 46.3%, P < 0.01). 52.6% (20/38) with chronic severe hepatitis in the control group died. Only 26.3% (5/19) in the lamivudine treatment group succumbed to terminal liver disease (P < 0.01). There was a significant difference between the two groups in regards to the complication incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding, infections, hepatic coma, and kidney failure (P < 0.05). In addition, the recovery of liver function and liver fibrosis, and the rates of HBeAg loss and seroconversion in the lamivudine treatment group were better than those in the control group. Furthermore, the serum HBV DNA levels decreased more rapidly and continued to be substantially suppressed in the lamivudine treatment group.

CONCLUSIONSOur results suggest that lamivudine administration with improved support care not only is likely to prevent chronic severe hepatitis occurrence in patients with chronic viral hepatitis B of a severe degree, but also shows some efficacy in preventing FHF.

Adult ; Female ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Lamivudine ; therapeutic use ; Liver Failure, Acute ; prevention & control ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the advantages of combination therapy with interferon-alpha plus nucleoside analogue-lamivudine or HBV vaccine in children with HBeAg positive chronic hepatitis B.

METHODSA total of 120 patients with HBeAg positive chronic hepatitis B were divided into three groups, 40 patients per group. Each group was treated with one of the following therapies respectively: Group A IFN-alpha 1b 10 MU/m2 three times per week (Tiw); Group B IFN-alpha 1b 10MU/m2 three times per week (Tiw) plus lamivudine 3 mg/kg for 6 months. Group C IFN-alpha 1b 10 MU/m2 three times per week (Tiw) plus HBV vaccine 30 microg one a month.

RESULTSThere was no significant difference in normalizing rate of ALT among the three groups at end of treatment. There was more significant difference in negative rate (seroconversion) of serum HBV DNA and HBeAg in group B than group A and group C (P less than 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe combination therapy of IFN-alpha 1b plus lamivudine seemed to be more effective than the therapy with IFN-alpha alone and the combination of IFN-alpha and HBV vaccine.

Anti-HIV Agents ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis B Vaccines ; therapeutic use ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; genetics ; immunology ; Hepatitis B virus ; drug effects ; genetics ; immunology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; blood ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; therapeutic use ; Lamivudine ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Treatment Outcome

Hemochromatosis ; metabolism ; Humans ; Iron Overload ; Liver ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVETo study into the genetic polymorphism of DC-SIGN and DC-SIGNR's exon 4 in Chinese hepatitis C patients and its relationship with HCV infection susceptibility.

METHODSPatients with hepatitis C (n=300, group A) and healthy subjects (n=520, group B) were genotyped and analysed for the repeat sequence of polymorphism of DC-SIGN and DC-SIGNR's exon 4 using PCR and DNA sequencing.

RESULTSThe distribution of genotypes and alleles in DC-SIGN's exon 4 in the two groups did not differ significantly (P > 0.05). The difference of allele frequency in DC-SIGNR's exon 4 between the two groups was also not significant (P > 0.05). However, 9/5 genotype distribution frequency of DC-SIGNR's exon 4 in patients with hepatitis C was significantly higher than that in the healthy subjects (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThere is no significant correlation between the genetic polymorphism of DC-SIGN's exon 4 and HCV infection susceptibility. 9/5 genotype distribution frequency of DC-SIGNR's exon 4 in patients with hepatitis C is significantly higher and may be associated with HCV infection susceptibility.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Blood Donors ; Case-Control Studies ; Cell Adhesion Molecules ; genetics ; Child ; Exons ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; ethnology ; genetics ; Humans ; Lectins, C-Type ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Receptors, Cell Surface ; genetics ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo clone and express nucleocapsid (N) protein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-associated coronavirus, and to evaluate its antigenicity and application value in the development of serological diagnostic test for SARS.

METHODSSARS-associated coronavirus N protein gene was amplified from its genomic RNA by reverse transcript nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-nested-PCR) and cloned into pBAD/Thio-TOPO prokaryotic expression vector. The recombinant N fusion protein was expressed and purified, and its antigenicity and specificity was analyzed by Western Blot, to establish the recombinant N protein-based ELISA for detection of IgG antibodies to SARS-associated coronavirus, and SARS-associated coronavirus lysates-based ELISA was compared parallelly.

RESULTSThe recombinant expression vector produced high level of the N fusion protein after induction, and that protein was purified successfully by affinity chromatography and displayed higher antigenicity and specificity as compared with whole virus lysates.

CONCLUSIONThe recombinant SARS-associated coronavirus N protein possessed better antigenicity and specificity and could be employed to establish a new, sensitive, and specific ELISA for SARS diagnosis.

Antibodies, Viral ; blood ; Blotting, Western ; Cloning, Molecular ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Gene Expression ; Genome, Viral ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Nucleocapsid Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; RNA, Viral ; genetics ; Recombinant Proteins ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; SARS Virus ; genetics ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; blood ; diagnosis ; virology

Gene Transfer Techniques ; Genetic Engineering ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Serum Albumin ; chemistry ; genetics

Hepatolenticular degeneration,also named Wilson disease,is an autosomal recessive genetic disease that characterized by copper metabolism disorder.WD mainly caused by the dysfunction of mutant ATP7B variants.This review summaries the mechanisms that different mutations affect the function of ATP7B,including inducing the mislocalization of mutant proteins,affecting the interactions between proteins or domains,regulating catalytic activity of ATP7B,and modifying the splicing ofATP7B gene.Further more,the genotype-phenotype correlation of a few mutations has been reviewed.Several mutations,such as p.R778L,are considered to be associated with more serious clinical symptoms,and the differences in environmental,diet,and lifestyle habits may also have effects on the susceptibility or the onset age of the patients.The research of the pathogenesis and clinical characterization ofATP7B gene mutations in the molecular level helps to deepen the understanding of WD,and suggests that personalized treatments should be used in future clinical practice.

OBJECTIVETo understand the genetic polymorphism of DC-SIGN's and DC-SIGNR's neck regions in normal Chinese Han population, and to obtain the genetic data of the two loci in Chinese Han population.

METHODSThe genotypes and alleles of repeat sequences of DC-SIGN and DC-SIGNR neck region were typed by PCR, agarose gel electrophoresis and sequencing. Polymorphism information content (PIC) of DC-SIGNR was calculated.

RESULTSDC-SIGN genetic polymorphism was rare. Allele 7 was most and its frequency was 0.9808. 4-, 5-, 6- and 8- alleles were also found, although their frequencies were very low. Caucasians had only 6- and 8- allele mutants; DC-SIGNR genetic polymorphism was high, its PIC was 0.5312, 4-,5-,6-,7-,8-,9- alleles and 16 genotypes were found in normal Chinese Han population. The differences of 6/5,7/4,7/5,7/6,7/7,9/5,9/7,9/9 genotypes distribution and 5-,6-,7-,9- alleles frequency between normal Chinese Han population and Caucasian population were all extremely distinct (P<0.01). The inserted mutation seemed more in Chinese Hans than Caucasian population.

CONCLUSIONDC-SIGN and DC-SIGNR genotypes and alleles distribution in Chinese Han population are significantly different from Caucasian population and with Chinese own population genetic characteristics, compared with Caucasians.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Alleles ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Cell Adhesion Molecules ; genetics ; China ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Lectins, C-Type ; genetics ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; genetics ; Receptors, Cell Surface ; genetics ; Young Adult

Current studies have shown that centromere protein F (CENPF) was overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and might be involved in the pathogenesis of HCC. Specifically, due to the very large molecular weight (358 kDa) of CENPF full length protein, only CENPF knock-down, but not overexpression models, were applied currently to explore the carcinogenicity of CENPF in HCC. Whether CENPF overexpression is a cause or an effect in HCC remains to be illustrated. We aimed to establish a CENPF overexpression cell model using CRISPR/dCas9 synergistic activation mediator (SAM) system with lentiMPHv2 and lentiSAMv2 vectors to explore the role of CENPF overexpression in HCC. Single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) that specifically identify the transcription initiation site of CENPF gene were synthesized and inserted into the lentiSAMv2 plasmid. Huh-7 and HCCLM3 cells were first transduced with lentiMPHv2 and then selected with hygromycin B. The cells were then transduced with lentiSAMv2 carrying specific sgRNA for CENPF gene, followed by blasticidin S selection. The mRNA and protein detection results of Huh-7 and HCCLM3 cells screened by hygromycin B and blasticidin S showed that the endogenous overexpression of CENPF can be induced by sgRNA1 and sgRNA4, especially by sgRNA4. By using the CRISPR/dCas9 technique, stable cell models with overexpressed CENPF were successfully constructed to explore the role of CENPF in tumorigenesis, which provides a reference for the construction of cell models overexpressing large molecular weight protein.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics* ; Liver Neoplasms/genetics* ; RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems ; Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats ; Hygromycin B