Objective To detect the plasma level of osteopontin (OPN)in systemie lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients,and its correlation with disease activity as well as organ damage was analyzed.Methods The plasma level of osteopontin was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 68 SLE patients and 36 healthy controls.Results The plasma level of OPN was significantly higher in SLE Datients than in healthy control group(P＜0.01).In SLE patients,the plasma OPN level was significantly higher in patients with renal damage than in patients without renal damage(P＜0.01).Patients with lung interstitial disease and gastrointestinal tract involvement,their plasma level of OPN was significantly higher than those of patients with inactive lupus (P＜0.01).The plasma level of OPN correlated positivelv and significantly with SLEDAI score(r=O.523,P＜0.001)and 24-hour urine protein excretion(r=0.403,P=0.001),but negativelycorrelated with serum C3 level (r=-0.398,P=0.001).There was no correlation between the Dlasma level of OPN and anti-dsDNA antibody,Sm antibody,erythrocyte sedimentation rate,serum IgG,IgA,IgM levels(P＞0.05 ). Conclusion OPN may be involved in the pathogenesis of SLE,and may be a potential marker for dis-ease activity and organ damage.

Objective To investigate the relationship between the interleukin-2 (IL-2) treatment and chemotherapeutic sensitivity in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods S-P immunohistochemical staining was adopted to determine the expression of multidrugs resistance-associated protein(MRP1) and IL-2 receptor ? chain in paraffin embedded HCC tissues of the patients treated with and without IL-2. Results The expression level of IL-2 receptor ?-chain in HCC tissues of the patients treated with and without IL-2 was 0.301 9?0.040 23 and 0.263 1?0.022 24, respectively, which had significant difference between the two kinds of HCC tissues. The expression level of MRP1 in the HCC tissues of the patients treated with IL-2 (0.336 4?0.044 67) was markedly higher than that in HCC tissues of the patients treated without IL-2 (0.300 8?0.037 64,t=2.176,P

Objective To study the antitumor effectivity of special cytotoxic T lymphocytes(CTLs) induced by B lymphocytes in mice.Methods B lymphocytes were collected,isolated and purfied.Cells were initially activated by CD40L and rmIL-4,then cocultivated with T lymphocytes.T lymphocyte proliferation was examined.Total RNA,which was extracted from Hepal-6(a hepatocelluar carcinoma cell line),were transfected into B lymphocytes,as experimental group;while transfected with RNA of mice liver cells,liposimes and 1640 were as control groups,The expression of antigen presenting cell(APC) markers(CD40,CD80 and CD86) and major histocomability complex(MHC) on B cell surface after transfection were deteced.CTL were obtained by stimulating T lymphocytes with transfected B lymphocytes.Hepal-6 was cell-targeted and examined as index of CTL killing activity.The IFN-r secretion of stimulated CTL was quantified.Results T cell proliferation in experimental group had a higher degree than that in RNA control group(P

Objective To investigate the change of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in HepG2 cells under hypoxia. Methods HepG2 cells were cultured under hypoxia(hypoxia group) and normal condition (control group). VEGF expression of HepG2 cells was examined by immunohistochemical staining. The growth of HepG2 cells was examined by MTT colorimetry and cell count. VEGF level in the culture medium was measured by ELISA.Results After 48 h and 72 h of culture, the growth rate of HepG2 cells in hypoxia group was lower than that in control group (P

Objective To study the expression of integrin ?1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its significance. Methods Integrin ?1 expression was detected in 38 cases of HCC, 8 cases of hepatic cirrhosis (HC) and 7 cases of normal liver tissues(NL) using immunohistochemical SP method. The relationship between the integrin ?1 expression and HCC clinico-pathological features was analyzed. Results The positive rate of integrin ?1 expression in the HCC was much higher than that in the HC and NL tissues (P

To investigate the expressions and significance of the tumor suppressor gene phosphatase and tensin homlog deleted on chromosome ten protein (PTEN) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to analyze the relationship between their expressions and the tumor's invasion and their pericarcinomatous tissues, the correlation of their expressions with the tumor's clinicopathological characteristics and invasion potential were studied. Our study showed that the expression level of PTEN in HCC was remarkably lower than that in pericarcinomatous liver tissues, while the expressions of both VEGF and MVD were higher than that in pericarcinomatous liver tissues. Correlation analysis revealed that the expression of PTEN was negatively related to the progression of the pathological differentiation and invasion of tumor, whereas the expressions of VEGF and MVD were positively related. Moreover, there was a negative relationship between the expression of PTEN and the expressions of VEGF and MVD, and a positive one between VEGF and MVD. The expressions of PTEN and VEGF may reveal the degree of differentiation and the invasive potential of HCC tissues. The mechanism by which the lack of PTEN expression probably induces abnormal hyperexpression of VEGF may play an important role in the invasion and metastasis of HCC.

Objective To explore the expression of tenascin in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods With the method of immunohistochemical staining, specimens from 42 HCC patients, 10 hepatic cirrhotics and 7 normal liver controls were studied. The relationship between the tenascin expression and pathological features as well as microvessel density (MVD) was evaluated. Results The expression of tenascin in the HCC tissues was much higher than that in the non-HCC tissues ( ? 2=4.15, P

AIM: To compare the methods of two currently employed isolation methods for endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs): from total peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and from enriched CD133~+ cells, by defining the cell morphology, phenotype, reproductive activities and function in vitro, providing a reference for clinic application. METHODS: PBMCs from the healthy subjects were used for CD133~+ sorting or not. The two groups of isolated cells were suspended in complete medium M199 for 7 d to 14 d. EPCs phenotype were characterized by FACS. The proliferation of differentiated EPCs was studied by MTT assay, and VEGF concentration was measured using an ELISA kit. Matrigel experiment and migration assay were imitated vascularization in vivo. RESULTS: PBMCs produced more colony-forming units (CFU) than CD133~+ cells from the same volume of blood (P<0.01). From 7 d to 14 d, the two groups show decreased expression of hematopoietic stem cell markers and increased level of endothelial markers, but CD144~+ cells in CD133~+ group were lower than those in PBMCs groups (P<0.01). Cells in PBMCs group secreted more VEGF than that in CD133~+ group on 7 d (P<0.01). Compared to CD133~+ group, PBMCs group showed more potential of proliferation and vascularization in vitro. CONCLUSION: CD133~+ sorted cells show a lower capacity of differentiation, secretion, proliferation and vascularization in vitro, which is unable to differentiate to mature endothelial cells, indicating that it's not a preferential way to obtain EPCs for clinic therapy.

Two isolation methods for sorting of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs): from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and CD133(+) enriched cells were compared, by defining the cell morphology, phenotype, reproductive activities and function in vitro, to provide a reference for clinical application of EPCs. PBMCs from healthy subjects were used either directly for cell culture or for CD133(+) sorting. The two groups of cells were cultured in complete medium 199 (M199) for 7 to 14 days and the phenotypes of EPCs were analyzed by FACS. The proliferation of differentiated EPCs was studied by MTT assay, and the VEGF concentration was measured using an ELISA kit. ECM gel experiment and migration assay were performed in vivo. The results showed that PBMCs produced more colony-forming units (CFU) than CD133(+) enriched cells from the same volume of blood (P<0.01). From day 7 to 14, the two groups showed decreased expression of hematopoietic stem cell markers and increased level of endothelial markers, but CD144(+) cells in CD133(+) group were less than in PBMCs group (P<0.01). PBMCs group secreted more VEGF than CD133(+) group on the day 7 (P<0.01). As compared with CD133(+) group, PBMCs group had more potent potential of proliferation and vascularization in vitro. It was concluded that CD133(+) sorted cells showed a lower capacity of differentiation, secretion, proliferation and vascularization in vitro, suggesting that CD133-negative cells may be a preferential way to get EPCs for clinical therapy.

Objective To study the relationship between Ephrin-A1 and its receptor with angiogenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods Immunohistochemistry staining method(S P methods)and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) were used to determine the protein and mRNA expression of Ephrin-A1 and its receptor EphA1、EphA2 in tumor tissues and their corresponding adjacent liver tissues from 52 HCC patients;then,analyse of the relationship between Ephrin-A1 and clinicopathologyfactor and microvessel density(MVD) in HCC was made.Results The protein expression rate of Ephrin-A1 and EphA1,EphA2 in HCC was 59.6%(31/52),53.8%(28/52)and 17.3%(9/52),respectively,but in the paired liver tissues adjacent to HCC the expression rate was 23.1%(12/52),and respectively.The protein expression rate of Ephrin-A1 and EphA1 was significantly higher than that in the paired liver tissues adjacent to HCC(P0.05).The mRNA express rate of Ephrin-A1 and EphA1 in HCC [67.3%(35/52) and 73.7%(38/52)] were prominently higher than those in the paired liver tissues adjacent to HCC [42.3%(22/52) and 48.1%(25/52)](P0.05).The higher expression of Ephrin-A1 was correlated with the AFP level and thrombus in the portal vein(P