OBJECTIVETo investigate the distribution and clonality of T cell receptor (TCR) V beta repertoire in patients with acute monoblastic leukemia (AML-M5).

METHODSExpression of the TCR V beta repertoire was analyzed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), which amplified the complementarity determining region 3 of 24 TCR V beta genes in peripheral blood from 9 cases with acute myclogenous leukemia subtype 5 or acute monoblastic leukemia (AML-M5). PCR products were further studied by genescan analysis to identify T cell clonality.

RESULTSExpression of 1-10 V beta subfamilies was found in samples from 9 patients. Genescan analysis showed that some V beta subfamily products from 8 of 9 cases contained an oligoclonal peak. Oligoclonal T cells of the V beta 2 subfamily could be found in 6 patients with AML-M5.

CONCLUSIONST cell clonality expansion was found in AML-M5 cases and were tendentious in the V beta 2 subfamily, suggesting a the specific immune response for leukemia cell (M5) associated antigen and may display antileukemia activity.

Complementarity Determining Regions ; genetics ; Genes, T-Cell Receptor beta ; Humans ; Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute ; immunology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; T-Lymphocytes ; immunology

Objective: To clarify the characteristics of the A20 regulatory changes by analyzing mutations in the non-coding region of the A20 gene in patients with T-cell lymphoma leukemia (T-LCL) . Methods: PCR and nucleotide sequence analysis were used to detect mutations in the non-coding region of the A20 gene, and DNA samples from PBMCs of 52 cases of T-LCL and 99 healthy controls. Results: A missense mutation (c.-672T>G) was detected in the A20 gene promoter from one T-LCL patient, which has been registered as a SNP (rs139054966) in gene bank. Meanwhile, a new mutation was detected in the 3′ UTR mRNA (3916 (C>G) ) . These two mutations were absent in other T-LCL samples and controls. Conclusion The rs139054966 (c.-672T>G) and 3916 (C>G) mutations in the A20 gene were detected in T-LCL patients for the first time. There was also rs139054966 located on the binding region of the transcription factor P53, and its significance remained to be further clarified.

The TCR Vbeta 24 subfamily genes were amplified in peripheral blood and bone marrow mononuclear cells from 5 cases with acute monocytic leukemia (AML-M(5)) using RT-PCR, to observe the distribution of TCR Vbeta subfamilies. The results indicated that 1 - 19 Vbeta subfamily T cells could be identified in different samples from AML-M(5) cases. The variation of distribution of TCR Vbeta subfamily T cells could be found in different individual samples. The results provided the feature of cell immune function change in skewed distribution of TCR Vbeta subfamily T cells from peripheral blood and bone marrow of patients with AML-M(5).

To study the action, characteristics and expression of high methylation of p15(INK4B) and p16(INK4A) genes in multiple myeloma (MM), the sensitive methylation specific PCR method was employed to detect the hypermethylation of p15(INK4B) and p16(INK4A) in 24 patients with MM. Results showed that the methylation incidence of p15(INK4B) and p16(INK4A) genes were 70.8% (17/24) and 58.3% (14/24) in the MM patients, with the products of 148 bp and 150 bp fragments, respectively. The methylation of p15(INK4B) and p16(INK4A) genes were simultaneously happened in MM patients of plasmocytoma type with two cases at II phase and two cases at III phase. The simultaneous non-methylation of p15(INK4B) and p16(INK4A) genes were founded in five cases of MM patients, all of the tumor cells were of small plasmocyte type with mature differention. Conclusion suggested that there were high incidence of methylation of p15(INK4B) and p16(INK4A) genes in patients with MM. Hypermethylation can be detected in the early stage of disease, which was associated with its progress. It indicated a bad prognosis when methylation happended simultaneously in the two genes. Methylation of p15(INK4B) and p16(INK4A) genes may be related to the pathogeny of MM.

In order to explore the role of p15(INK4B) gene with highly methylated CpG island in the pathogenesis of leukemia, the expression levels of p15(INK4B) gene was detected in patients with AML and CML. Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) assay was employed in the experiments. The methylation incidence was 83.9% (26/31) in AML and 0% (0/28) in CML. The results showed that methylation of p15(INK4B) gene was the one of the major ways for inactivation of the gene, and the methylation could be appeared in clinical development of the disease and patients condition worsened. Methylation of p15(INK4B) did not occur and its function probably is normal in CML.

ObjectiveExploring the role of microRNA126 （miRNA126） in chronic kidney disease combined with atherosclerosis （CKD AS） by regulating the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）/mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） signaling pathway and the mechanism of Shenshuai Xiezhuo decoction in the intervention of CKD AS rats with 5/6 nephrectomy combined with high-fat feeding. MethodA total of 60 SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group， model group， losartan group， and low， medium， and high dose groups of Shenshuai Xiezhuo decoction. The CKD AS rat model was established by 5/6 nephrectomy combined with high-fat feeding for 10 weeks. The low， medium， and high dose groups （6.0， 12.0， 24.0 g·kg^-1·d^-1） of Shenshuai Xiezhuo decoction and the losartan group （20 mg·kg^-1·d^-1） were gavaged， and the corresponding intervention was carried out for eight weeks. Then， the rats were killed， and samples were collected for corresponding detection. Fully automated biochemical analyzers were used to detect kidney function and blood lipids in rats： blood creatinine （SCr）， blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， total cholesterol （TC）， triglyceride （TG）， and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C） levels. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） and Masson staining of aortic tissue and pathological observation under a light microscope were carried out， and autophagosomes and autophagy lysosomes were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to determine the mRNA levels of miRNA126， PI3K， Akt， and mTOR in rats， and Western blot was used to determine the protein expression levels of phosphorylated （p）-PI3K， PI3K， p-Akt， Akt， p -mTOR， mTOR， benzyl chloride 1 （Beclin-1）， and microtubule-associated protein light chain 3Ⅱ/Ⅰ （LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ）. ResultCompared with the sham operation group， the serum SCr， BUN， TC， TG， and LDL-C in the model group were significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the SCr， BUN， TC， TG， and LDL-C were decreased in the losartan group and low， medium， and high dose groups of Shenshuai Xiezhuo decoction （P<0.05）. Compared with the sham operation group， thickening plaques， infiltration of mononuclear macrophages， a small number of foam cells， disordered arrangement of smooth muscle fibers in the tunica media， and increased collagen fibers were observed in the model group， and the lesions in the losartan group and Shenshuai Xiezhuo decoction groups were alleviated compared with those in the model group. Compared with the model group， the number of autophagosomes and autophagy lysosomes increased in the medium and high dose groups of Shenshuai Xiezhuo decoction. Compared with the sham operation group， the expression of miRNA126 in the aortic tissue of the model group was significantly decreased （P<0.01）， and the mRNA expressions of PI3K， Akt， and mTOR were significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the expression of miRNA126 in the aortic tissue of rats in high， medium， and low dose groups of Shenshuai Xiezhuo decoction and losartan group was significantly increased （P<0.01）， while the mRNA expressions of PI3K， Akt， and mTOR were significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with the sham operation group， the protein expressions of p-PI3K， PI3K， p-Akt， Akt， p-mTOR， and mTOR in the model group were significantly increased （P<0.01）， while the protein levels of Beclin-1， LC3Ⅰ， and LC3Ⅱ were significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the protein expressions of p-PI3K， PI3K， p-Akt， Akt， p-mTOR， and mTOR in the losartan group and low， medium， and high dose groups of Shenshuai Xiezhuo decoction were decreased （P<0.05）， while the protein levels of Beclin-1 and LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ were increased （P<0.05）. ConclusionThe expression of miRNA126 is decreased in the aortic tissue of CKD AS rats， and the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway is activated to inhibit autophagy flux. Shenshuai Xiezhuo decoction regulates the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway through miRNA126， restores the autophagy of aortic endothelial cells， protects the damage of CKD vessels， reduces the formation of As plaques， and slows the development of cardiovascular complications.