Base Sequence ; Hepacivirus ; drug effects ; genetics ; Hepatitis C ; drug therapy ; virology ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Oligonucleotides ; therapeutic use ; Phosphorothioate Oligonucleotides ; therapeutic use

In addition to the structural genes of the coronavirus genome, S, E, M, and N, there are several additional genes called "group-specific or accessory genes". Their gene products are designated as "accessory proteins", as reports to date make it clear that these proteins are not essential for virus replication in vitro. Nevertheless, many of these genes are still maintained in the virus genome under selective pressure, suggesting that they might play a very important role in the survival of the virus in the natural environment of the infected host. This review will summarize the research progress in the functions of coronavirus accessory genes.
Animals ; Coronavirus ; genetics ; metabolism ; Coronavirus Infections ; virology ; Humans ; Open Reading Frames ; Viral Proteins ; metabolism

Animals ; Autophagy ; Coronaviridae ; genetics ; pathogenicity ; physiology ; Coronaviridae Infections ; physiopathology ; virology ; Humans ; Virus Replication

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) accounts for the majority of cases of transfusion acquired hepatitis and may cause chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Currently, there is no vaccine against HCV and treatment is expensive and not always effective.The adaptive host immune response in viral clearance of HCV infection was described and the recent progress in vaccine development of HCV, focusing on the fields of DNA vaccine candidates, recombinant viral vectored vaccine candidates and combined (prime-boost) vaccine candidates were summarized. Some challenges and limitations of developing a HCV vaccine were also analysed. In summary, a promising approach of developing an experimental HCV vaccine to induce extremely potent and broad T-cell responses based on prime-boost strategy was presented.

Objective To determine the clinical value of EUS in combination with detection of CA19-9 and CA242 for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.Methods General features of high-risk group were determed by EUS and the plasma levels of CA19-9 and CA242 measured by ELISA.Results The serum level of CA19-9 was abnormal in 9.80% (10/102) and that of CA242 in 12.75% (13/102) of the patients.They were both abnormal in 7 cases.Of the 7 cases, 3 were found to suffer from pancreatic cancer by EUS, 1 had the tumor that had been clinically confirmed, 1 had posterior peritoneal tumor and 2 were normal.Among 102 cases detected by EUS, 2 showed low echo in pan-creatic head, 2 semi-cyst, 3 pancreatic cancer and proved by pathology.Accurate diagnotic rate, sensi-tivity and specificity were 90.20% (92/102), 50% (4/8) and 93.62% (88/94), respectively, for serum CA19-9.For the serum CA242, the 3 parameters were 87.25% (89/102), 50% (4/8) and 90.43% (85/94), respectively.For combination of both methods, they were 98.04% (100/102), 100%(8/8) and 97.87%(92/94), respectively.Accurate diagnostic rate of the latter was significantly higher than that of the former 2(P＜0.05).Concision Combination of EUS with detection of serum CA19-9 and CA242 is of great vlaue for early screening of pancreatic cancer.

Objective To investigate the immunogenicity and cross protective effects of two novel HCV DNA vaccines in a mice model.Methods Two self-replicating alphavirus vector-based HCV DNA vaccines, pSCK CE1E2Y and pSCK H155, were constructed based on the genes encoding the structural pro-teins (Core, E1 and E2) and structural and NS3 fusion proteins (Core, E1 , E2 and NS3) of a HCV strain isolated from a Chinese patient (genotype 1b, Hebei strain), respectively.Western blot analysis was per-formed to detect the expression of fusion antigens.The BALB/c mice were intradermally immunized with the recombinant DNA vaccines by using electroporation.The immune responses induced in mice and the cross protective effects of the recombinant DNA vaccines were evaluated.Results The DNA vaccines effectively expressed the target antigens in vitro.The antigen-specific antibody responses and specific T cell immune re-sponses were induced in mice by the immunization of replicative DNA vaccines.However, no effective cross protection was provided by either of the DNA vaccines in the surrogate challenge model based on a recombi-nant heterologous HCV (JFH1, 2a) vaccinia virus strain.Conclusion Although no effective cross protec-tion was observed, both of the two replicative DNA vaccines could induce strong humoral and cellular im-mune responses against multi-target antigens of HCV strains.This study has paved the way for further inves-tigation on the development of novel HCV vaccines.

To develop a safe and broad-spectrum effective hepatitis C virus (HCV) T cell vaccine,we constructed the recombinant adenovirus-based vaccine that carried the hepatitis C virus truncated NS3 and core fusion proteins. The expression of the fusion antigen was confirmed by in vitro immunofluorescence and western blotting assays. Our results indicated that this vaccine not only stimulated antigen-specific antibody responses,but also activated strong NS3-specific T cell immune responses. NS3-specific IFN-γ+ and TNF-α+ CD4+ T cell subsets were also detected by a intracellular cytokine secretion assay. In a surrogate challenge assay based on a recombinant heterologous HCV (JFH1,2a) vaccinia virus,the recombinant adenovirus-based vaccine was capable of eliciting effective levels of cross-protection. These findings have im- portant implications for the study of HCV immune protection and the future development of a novel vaccine.
Adenoviridae ; genetics ; metabolism ; Animals ; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; immunology ; Cross Protection ; Female ; Genetic Vectors ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Hepacivirus ; genetics ; immunology ; Hepatitis C ; immunology ; prevention & control ; virology ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; immunology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Recombinant Proteins ; administration & dosage ; genetics ; immunology ; Viral Core Proteins ; administration & dosage ; genetics ; immunology ; Viral Hepatitis Vaccines ; administration & dosage ; genetics ; immunology ; Viral Nonstructural Proteins ; administration & dosage ; genetics ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo explore the correlation between hand and face-mouth, so as to provide nerve reflex basis for the theory "Hegu (LI 4) regulates face and mouth".

METHODSSeven hundred and sixty-three participants who met the inclusive criteria were divided into different age groups. The skin around participants' thenar eminence was gently scraped to be observed whether there was an involuntary movement around the face or mouth, which was palmomental reflex. The results of palmomental reflex were recorded.

RESULTSThe total occurrence rate of palmomental reflex was 46.26%. For those who were 0 to 1 years old, the palmomental reflex was all positive; for those who were 21 to 36 years old, the positive rate was 20.45%, which was the lowest; for those who were 65 to 85 years old, more than half of them were positive. The majority of those who were 0 to 2 years old were bilateral positive palmomental reflex, while the majority of those who were 65 to 85 years old were unilateral positive palmomental reflex.

CONCLUSIONThere is a certain connection between hand and face-mouth. The occurrence rate of palmomental reflex changes from high to low over age increasing, and then changes from low to high with the aging, presenting a "high-low-high" U-shaped curve, which is possible related to the growth and recession of nervous system.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Face ; physiopathology ; Female ; Hand ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mouth ; physiopathology ; Reflex ; Young Adult

Objective To evaluate the expression of macrophage migration inhibitor factor (MiF) and cyclinD1 in pancreatic carcinoma and their relationships with clinical pathology characteristics. Methods The expression of MIF and eyclinD1 in 89 carcinoma and 5 normal pancreatic tissues was detected with immunohis-tochemistry methods, and the relationships among MIF and cyclinD1 expression and clinicopathological factors were studied. Results The overexpression of MIF and cyclinD1 was found in 88.8%, and 50. 6% of pancre-atic carcinoma tissues respectively. The overexpression of MIF had a significant correlation with Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ,Ⅳ tumor stage (69. 2%, 94. 7%, 96. 4%, 100%, P <0.05), while the positive expression rate of cyclinD1 only had a significant correlation with tumor stages Ⅲ,Ⅳ (33. 3%, 68. 8%, P <0. 05). Both of the two proteins had a correlative tendency with pathological grade and lymph node metastasis. The different expression of MIF between pancreatic carcinoma with and without liver metastasis had no statistical significance, (100% ,85.9%, P >0. 05)while there was a statistically significant difference about cyclinD1 (66. 7% ,46. 5% ,P <0. 05). A significant positive correlation was also found between MIF and cyclinD1 (P < 0. 05). Conclusion The ex-pression of MIF and CyclinD1 was higher in pancreatic cancer tissues than in normal tissue, and they may be associated with the malignant stage, tumor differentiation, local lymph node and liver metastasis of this tumor.

Objective To investigate the development strategy of novel T cell based vaccine against HCV infection.Methods BALB/c mice were primed with pSCK-based DNA vaccine and boosted with type 5 adenoviral vector-based vaccine, which expressed the structural proteins ( Core, E1 and E2) de-rived from a Chinese HCV patient (genotype 1b, Hebei strain).Enzyme linked immunospot assay (ELIS-POT) and intracellular cytokine staining ( ICS) were used to analyze the elicited antigen-specific immune re-sponses and the efficacy of cross-protection.Results Immunization of mice with the prime-boost vaccination strategy elicited stronger T cell immune responses against multiple HCV antigens than using the DNA vac-cines alone, especially the IFN-γ-secreting T cell responses against E1 protein as indicated by ELISPOT as-say.ICS data indicated that the prime-boost regimen elicited more TNF-α-producing CD4+and IFN-γ-produ-cing CD8+T cells against E1 protein and high levels of IFN-γ-producing CD4+and CD8+T cells against E2 protein in comparison with immunization with DNA vaccines.Moreover, the prime-boost vaccination was ca-pable of eliciting effective cross-protection in a surrogate challenge model based on a recombinant heterolo-gous HCV (JFH1, 2a) vaccinia virus.Conclusion The prime-boost vaccination using DNA and rAd5-based vaccine expressing HCV structural antigens induced significant cellular immune response and cross-protection in mice, suggesting the possibility of using it as a promising T cell based vaccine against HCV in-fection.