Neurosyphilis is a serious clinical stage of syphilis caused by Treponema pallidum invading the nervous system, and risk and predictive factors of neurosyphilis are different between syphilis patients with and without HIV infection. The risk factors for neurosyphilis in HIV-negative patients with syphilis mainly include gender, age, clinical stage of syphilis, treatment, etc.; the predictive factors include serological titers, changes in some indicators of cerebrospinal fluid, neurological or ophthalmic symptoms. HIV viral load, CD4 + T cell counts and antiretroviral treatment are the main predictors and risk factors for neurosyphilis in HIV-positive patients with syphilis.

Objective To study the influence of quedcetin on the collagen synthesis of cultured fibroblasts and to explore the mechanism.Methods The inhibitory effect of quercetin and radiation on fibroblast proliferation was assayed using MTT assay.Collagen synthesis was detected by hydroxyproline colorimetric analysis.Immunocytochemical staining method was used to investigate the expression of collagen Ⅰ and Ⅲ.The mRNA expression of typeⅠ,type Ⅲ collagens and TGF?-1 were assayed by reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) and real-time PCR technique.Results Keloid fibroblast cell proliferation and collagen synthesis of fibroblasts were inhibited by quercetin in a dose-dependent manner.Significant inhibition was observed by the treatment with quercetin and radiation together.Immunocytochemical staining indicated the IOD of type I and Ⅲ collagen protein was down-regulated by quercetin and radiation.Both collagen Ⅰ and collagen Ⅲ gene in the quercetin groups showed a significantly decreased mRNA expression compared with that in the untreated group,especially in the group treated with both quercetin and X-ray.Procollagen gene expression was inhibited and then decreased type Ⅰ and Ⅲ protein syntheses of fibroblsts,particularly type Ⅰ procollagen gene(P

ObjectiveTo clone and express the Tp0136 gene of Treponema pallidum,to purify the recombinant protein and to evaluate its immunocompetence.MethodsThe full-length Tp0136 gene was synthesized,then subcloned into the expression vector pET28a to construct a recombinant plasmid,pET28a-Tp0136,which was subsequently transfected into E.coli Rosetta for protein expression.The recombinant protein was purified with nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid(Ni-NTA) affinity chromatography,and identified by using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electropheresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western blot.New Zealand rabbits were immunized with the recombinant Tp0136 (rTp0136)protein,and anti-Tp0136 polyclonal antibodies in sera of the rabbits were examined by indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) with rTp0136 protein as the coating antigen.Also,positive sera were obtained from patients with syphilis and examined by Western blot to identify the immunoreactivity of the rTp0136 protein.ResultsThe E.coli expression vector pET28a-Tp0136 was constructed successfully,and rTp0136 protein was also successfully expressed with a molecular weight of about 50 kD and a purity above 95％.High titres of anti-rTp0136 antibodies were detected in sera of rabbits immunized with the rTp0136 protein,and Western blot showed that the rTp0136 could specifically react with the sera from syphilitic patients,which proved the high immunogenicity and immunoreactivity of the recombinant protein.ConclusionsThe full-length Tp0136 membrane protein is successfully expressed with a high immunocompetence,and Tp0136 membrane protein may play an important role in the pathogenic mechanisms of Treponema pallidum.

Objective To investigate the association of tumor necrosis factor-ot (TNF-α) gene promoter polymorphisms with generalized pustular psoriasis.Methods Totally,91 patients of Han nationality with generalized pustular psoriasis (generalized pustular psoriasis group) and 102 health checkup examinees (healthy control group) were enrolled into this study.PCR and direct sequencing were performed to analyze the-238,-308 and-857 polymorphic sites of the TNF-α promoter.Results The frequency of the A allele at TNF-α-238 site was significantly higher in the generalized pustular psoriasis group than in the healthy control group (P =0.003,OR =4.819,95％ CI:1.581-14.694),so was the frequency of GA/AA genotype (P =0.006,OR =4.455,95％ CI:1.410-14.077).However,no significant differences were observed in the frequencies of G/A alleles (P =0.794) and GG/GA/AA genotypes (P =0.786) at TNF-o-308 site,or in the frequencies of C/T alleles (P =0.474) and CC/CT/TT genotypes (P =0.453) at TNF-α-857 site,between the generalized pustular psoriasis group and healthy control group.Conclusion TNF-α-238G ＞ A polymorphisms may be associated with the occur-rence of generalized pustular psoriasis.