Objective To study the effects of citrullinated vimentin (cVim) on the maturation and immunologic function of dendritic cells (DCs) from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) peripheral blood.Methods In the present study,mononuclear cells were isolated from the peripheral blood of patients with RA and cultivated in media containing GM-CSF and IL-4 to generate immature DCs (imDCs).The imDCs generated were stimulated with citrullinated vimentin and vimentin.LPS was used as the positive control and PBS was used as the negative control.The expression of surface molecules on the DCs,such as CD14,CD80,CD83,CD86,MHC Ⅰ and MHC Ⅱ were analyzed with FACS.The capability of the stimulatory activity of the DCs on allogeneic T cells in mixed reaction was tested by MTS.t-test was used for statistical analysis.Results Compared to untreated DCs,DCs treated with LPS increased the expression levels of MHC Ⅱ,CD80,CD83 and CD86 (1.07±0.14,1.25±0.13,1.90±1.08,2.44±0.65,P＜0.05),while cVim increased the expression levels of MHC Ⅱ ( 1.18±0.09,P＜0.05) and CD83 ( 1.97±0.99,P＜0.01 ),and Vim decreased the expression levels of CD80 (0.82±0.18,P＜0.01 ).It was demonstrated that the expression levels of MHC Ⅱ on DCs pulsed with cVim were significantly higher than that of the DCs with LPS,but the expression levels of CD80 and CD86 were not significantly different.The expression levels of MHC Ⅱ and CD83 on DCs pulsed with cVim were significantly higher than that of the DCs with Vim.The mixed lymphocyte reaction showed that the DCs induced by LPS and cVim trigerred the proli-feration of allogenic T cells obviously.Conclusion This result suggests that cVim could promote the phenotypic maturation of DCs and increase the expression of costimulatory molecules.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Facial Nerve ; anatomy & histology ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Microsurgery ; Middle Aged ; Parotid Neoplasms ; surgery ; Young Adult

China ; Congresses as Topic ; Fatty Liver ; Humans

OBJECTIVETo investigate the methylation status of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) gene promoter and its clinical significance in children with stage IV non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and to provide a basis for further etiological study and early diagnosis of this disease.

METHODSFifty-five children with a confirmed diagnosis of stage IV NHL (40 cases of T-NHL and 15 cases of B-NHL) were selected as the case group, and 20 children with diseases other than hematologic malignancies were selected as the control group. Bone marrow samples were collected from these subjects. Methylation-specific PCR (MS-PCR) was applied to evaluate the methylation status of ZO-1 gene promoter, and the integrated optical density (IOD) was determined. RT-PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression of ZO-1.

RESULTSMS-PCR showed that the methylated bands of ZO-1 gene promoter were found in 39 (70.9%) of 55 patients in the case group before treatment, while no ZO-1 gene promoter methylation was detected in the control group. With close tracking of 47 cases in the study group, consisting of 32 cases of T-NHL and 15 cases of B-NHL, the rates of ZO-1 gene promoter methylation prior to treatment were 72% and 67%, respectively, (P>0.572). The cases of T-NHL and B-NHL showed no significant changes in methylation rate in the early and middle phases of chemotherapy (P>0.05), but they showed significant changes in methylation rate in the late phase of chemotherapy (P<0.05). RT-PCR showed that the NHL cases carrying methylated ZO-1 gene had no mRNA expression of ZO-1, while all children in the control group had mRNA expression of ZO-1. There was no linear relationship between the total number of peripheral blood leukocytes and ZO-1 gene IOD (r=0.093, P=0.575); a positive correlation was found between the number of malignant cells in bone marrow and ZO-1 gene IOD (r=0.669, P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONSZO-1 gene shows a hypermethylation status in children with NHL, and the methylation level is positively correlated with the number of malignant cells in bone marrow. ZO-1 may be used as a novel molecular marker in early diagnosis, outcome assessment, prognostic evaluation, and detection of minimal residual disease.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; DNA Methylation ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; genetics ; Male ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Zonula Occludens-1 Protein ; genetics

Objective To investigate the relationship between gene polymorphism of transcripion factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) at positions rs290487, rs11196205, rs11196218 and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in Chinese women.Methods In 1140 unrelated pregnant Northern Chinese women (335 women with GDM, 158 gestational cases with impaired glucose tolerance and 647 pregnant non-diabetic controls) ,three single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs290487, rs11196205, and rs11196218) in the TCF7L2 gene were genotyped using ligase detection reaction (LDR).In the present study, cases with GDM and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) were indistinguishable clinically and biochemically, and were combined into case group.Results The frequency of C allele of rs290487 was 41.6% in case group, being significantly higher than that in control group (36.3%, P=0.012).There was significant difference in the frequency of CC genotype between case group and control group (18.7% vs 14.0%, P=0.033).Compared with T allele carriers, CC genotype carriers had a 1.418-fold increased risk of GDM (95% CI 1.028-1.955).After adjusting for age, body mass index, family history of diabetes,systolic blood pressure,and diastolic blood pressure, pregnant women with CC genotype carriers of rs290487 were more prone to hyperglycemia compared with the T allele carriers (OR 1.518, 95% CI 1.064-2.166).Conclusions The TCF7L2 rs290487 variant may contribute to the genetic predisposition to GDM.CC genotype is likely to be associated with an increased risk of GDM in the pregnant Chinese women.

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of using comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) in estimating if standard dose treatment is fit for the elderly patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma.Methods.Comprehensive geriatric assessments including three assessments of activity of daily living,instrumental activity of daily living and comorbidity scoring according to Cumulative Illness Rating Score for Geriatrics were adopted to assess if standard dose treatment is fit for the elderly patients in our prospective study.Thirty seven patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma,aged ＞70 years were enrolled in the study,and grouped into fit,unfit and frail groups according to comprehensive geriatric assessment scoring and their age.The treatment protocolswere not determined by comprehensive geriatric assessment scores,but by clinical judgments made by clinicians based on their clinical experience and disease features.The clinically effective response and overall survival (OS) were analyzed in the three groups.Results According to CGA scores,patients were grouped into fit [21 cases (56.8％)],unfit [7 (18.9％)] and frail [9 (24.3％)].37 cases received 213 courses of treatment at average 5.76 courses per case.The overall response (complete / partial remission) rates were [85.7％(18/21) vs.28.6％ (2/7) vs.44.4％ (4/9),x2=9.69,P=0.008] and median survival times were (44 months vs.10 months vs.9 months;x2 =7.03,P=0.03) among fit,unfit and frail groups with statistically significant differences.Total effective rate (achieving all clinical targets) in fit group of 21 cases were 100 ％ (12/12)with receiving standard dose therapy,and 66.7％ of(6/9)with low dose therapy(P=0.06).Overall response rate(total/partial remission) [85.7％(18/21) vs.28.6％(2/7) vs.44.4％(4/9),x2=9.69,P=0.008] and median survival (44 months vs.10 months vs.9 months;x2 =7.03,P=0.03) amongfit,unfit and frail groups.In fit group,the two-year overall survival was higher in patients receiving standard dose treatment than receivingpalliativetreatment,with statistical significance [83.3 ％ (10/12) vs.33.3 ％ (3/9),P =0.032],without significant hematologic toxicity observed between the subgroups.Conclusions Comprehensive geriatric assessment can identify if elderly patients diffuse large B cell lymphoma can acquire a satisfactory curative effect from a standard dose treatment ofimmunochemotherapy.

Objective To study the injury and protective action of drugs on neurons, the model of glutamate excitotoxicity on primary cultured hippocampual neurons from new born rats were( set up. Methods)By use of trypan blue dye staning and testing the lactate dehydrogenase leakage from cultured neurons, to investigate the neuron survival rate. Results We found the injury of neurons was related with the concentration of glutamate. NMDAR non-competitive antagonist —MK-801 could protect the glutamate excitotoxic damage on neurons. Conclusion The glutamate results in neuron injury through NMDAR; the model of neuron culture was sufficient for glutamate-induced excitotoxicity.

Objective:To explore the status of adolescents'empathy and its related factors.Methods:Totally 1460 students from part of middle schools and vocational schools in Huainan City and Wenzhou City were surveyed,1159 (613 males,546 females) valid samples obtained.Subjects'empathy,family function and class environment were separately assessed with Interpersonal Reactivity Index-C(IRI-C),Family Assessment Device(FAD) and the questionnaire of My Class.Results:IRI-C scores were higher in gifts than in boys [total empathy,(55-± 12) vs.(51 ± 11),P ＜ 0.05].Vocational school students' IRI-C scores were lower than junior school students' [total empathy,(50 ± 11) vs.(54 ± 11),P ＜ 0.001],and lower than high school students' [total empathy,(50 ± 11) vs.(54 ± 11),P ＜ 0.05].Competition scores and classmates scores were positively associated with emotional empathy scores (β =0.11,0.13,P ＜ 0.001).The role scores were positively associated with the scores of emotional empathy(β =0.14,P ＜ 0.001).Problem solving scores were negatively associated with cognitive empathy and total empathy scores (β =-0.22,-5.20,P ＜ 0.001).Classmates scores were positively associated with cognitive empathy and total empathy scores (β =0.18,5.76,P ＜ 0.001).Conclusion:It suggests that girls' empathy may be better than boys'.Vocational school students'empathy may be worse than junior school students'and high school students Good relationship with classmates,efficient solutions to the problems and moderate competition may be favorable factors for adolescents' empathy.

Objective To evaluate the effects of small interfering RNA (siRNA) against peptidylarginine deiminase 4 (PADI4) gene on apoptosis of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) from synovium of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods The siRNA targeting PADI4 was constructed and transfected into FLS cells in RA via LipofectamineTM 2000.The expression level of PDAI4 mRNA was detected by using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR).The protein expression of PADI4,CyclinB1 and P21 was detected by Western blotting.The apoptosis of FLS cells in RA was examined by flow cytometry.The levels of IL-1β were detected by ELISA.T-test was used for statistical analysis.Results siRNA-PADI4 efficiently down-regulated the PADI4 expression compared with control group,1.00±0.20 vs 0.38±0.20 (t=9.607,P＜0.01),0.39±0.23(t=8.394,P＜0.01).FCM analysis showed that the percentage of apoptosis cells in PADI4 siRNA group in FLS was (5.4±0.6)％ (t=-19.223,P＜0.01) and (6.1±0.6)％ respectively (t=-24.229,P＜0.01),which was significantly higher than that in the control group in FLS (1.6±0.3)％.The expression of CyclinB1 protein was decreased,and P21 increased.The concentrations of IL-1β in culture medium of the transfected group were (26.8±0.7) ng/ml (t=-10.747,P＜0.01) and (27.7±0.7) ng/ml (t=-10.967,P＜0.01),higher than the control group [(23.9±0.7) ng/ml].Conclusion After being transfected with PADI4 siRNA,the apoptosis of FLS cells in RA is increased.Our results have demonstrated the potential role of CyclinB1 and P21 in PADI4 signaling.

Background: Creatine transporter (CRTR) deficiency is the most common creatine deficiency syndrome, of which the final diagnosis relies on mutation in the X-linked CRTR gene. To date, more than 90 mutations in the SLC6A8 gene have been reported. This paper discusses a novel mutation detected via the thorough sequencing of all the X-chromosome-specific exons investigated in a four and a half year old boy with an intellectual disability, speech and language delay and motor disturbance. Methods: A brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) were carried out, the creatine and creatinine concentrations in the urine were checked and all exons were sequenced. Results: A detailed clinical investigation revealed a reduction in the cerebral creatine levels in the brain by the MRS, elevated creatine and creatinine concentrations in the urine and signal abnormalities in the left frontal cortex of the brain by the MRI. A novel change was identified in the heterozygosity of the exon 10: c.1395-c.1401 deletion. Conclusion: The use of a combination of powerful new technologies, such as thorough exome-nextgeneration sequencing and a brain MRS, should be considered, in order to determine any neurometabolic diseases, especially when the signal abnormalities in the brain MRI cannot be explained by any other factors. This mutation results most likely in a dysfunction of the creatine transport and synthesis, hence causing central nervous system symptoms.
Carrier Proteins