BACKGROUND: Due to the polymorphism of HLA, a large number of ambiguities have been generated by conventional HLA typing techniques, and confirmed stereotypes of ambiguous results based on group-specific haploid full-length typing are rarely reported.OBJECTIVE: To analyze the accuracy of HLA-typing ambigulity based on group-specific haploid full-length sequencing. METHODS: The low-resolution results were used as the starting point for two ambiguous samples. Sanger sequencing (PCR-SBT) based on haploid full-length was performed after group-specific amplification. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: One case showed a new A*02:03:01 allele, which was found a mutation in NT817 from C to T in comparison with A*11:01:01:01. The other case indicated another new C*07:02:01:01, which was found a mutation in NT879 from A to G in comparison with C*08:01:01. In conclusion, these results indicate that the group-specific haploid full-length sequencing method can be used to accurately classify HLA alleles and to discover new alleles.

OBJECTIVETo put the insight into the trichloroethylene (TCE)-induced effect on the differential expression of subcellular proteins in human normal liver cell line (L-02).

METHODSThe membrane proteins and nuclear proteins of TCE-treated (8.0 mmol/L) group and controls were extracted by subcellular proteome extraction kit, respectively. The TCE-induced differentially expressions were analyzed by a two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem time-of-flight spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Bioinformatics analysis was used to reveal the biological processes and predict transmembrane domains of differential expressed proteins. The expression of ATP synthase subunit beta (ATP5B), heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein H2 (hnRNP H2) and far up steam element-binding protein 1 (FUBP1) were measured under TCE treatment by Western blot.

RESULTSAfter TCE treatment for 24 h in L-02 cells, 14 membrane proteins and 18 nuclear proteins were identified as differential expression. After treated with TCE in concentrations of 0, 2.0, 4.0 and 8.0 mmol/L for 24 h, the relative levels of ATP5B expression were 1.00±0.03, 1.21±0.14, 1.25±0.12 and 1.48±0.17 (F = 8.51, P = 0.007), the relative levels of hnRNP H2 expression were 1.00±0.09, 1.22±0.15, 1.43±0.21, 1.53±0.17 (F = 6.57, P = 0.015), respectively; the relative levels of FUBP1 expression were 1.00±0.11, 0.91±0.07, 0.73±0.04 and 0.67±0.03 (F = 15.81, P = 0.001), respectively, which were consistent with the results in proteomics. The bioinformatics analysis showed that the most dominant biological process were involved in RNA processing (10 proteins, P = 2.46×10(-6)), especially in RNA splicing (9 proteins, P = 1.77×10(-7)).

CONCLUSIONThe exposure of TCE could alter the expression of membrane proteins and nuclear proteins in L-02 cells. These abnormal expressed proteins involved in RNA splicing would provide novel clues for further understanding of TCE-induced hepatotoxicity.

Blotting, Western ; Cell Line ; DNA Helicases ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; Hepatocytes ; Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein Group F-H ; Humans ; Mitochondrial Proton-Translocating ATPases ; Proteome ; Proteomics ; RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional ; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization ; Trichloroethylene

OBJECTIVETo study the distribution of MICA alleles among ethnic Han Chinese blood donors from Shenzhen and their linkage disequilibrium with HLA-B gene.

METHODSFor 143 randomly selected blood donors, the MICA and HLA-B alleles were determined with a PCR-sequence based typing (SBT) method. Allelic frequency, haplotypic diversity and linkage disequilibrium were analyzed with a Pypop software.

RESULTSThirteen MICA and 35 HLA-B alleles were identified among the 143 blood donors, among which MICA*008:01 had the highest frequency (76/286), whilst MICA*008:01-HLA-B*40:01 and MICA*010-HLA-B*46:01 were the most common haplotypes. No novel allele was identified.

CONCLUSIONThe allele frequencies, haplotype diversities and linkage disequilibrium parameters under a high resolution can facilitate further studies and applications of the MICA and HLA-B genes.

OBJECTIVE: To verify a HLA-DQB1*03:90N allele and method to improve the accuracy of HLA typing. METHODS: A total of 2265 hematopoietic stem cell donors from Shenzhen Branch of China Marrow Donor Program in 2018 were initially detected by a PCR sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe (SSOP) method. Among these, a rare HLA-DQB1 allele was identified by sequence-based tying (SBT) and Ion Torrent S5 next generation sequencing (NGS). RESULTS: The SSOP typing result suggested the HLA-DQB1 to be a rare allele, while an insertion and a deletion was suspected in its exon 2 by SBT, which were confirmed by NGS as DQB1*03:90N and DQB1*06:01, respectively. CONCLUSION Rare alleles suspected by the SSOP method should be verified by other methods to ensure the accuracy of HLA genotyping. Rare alleles formed by deletions can be detected by NGS with accuracy.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic basis of three children with unexplained developmental delay/intellectual disability (DD/ID). METHODS: Peripheral blood samples were collected from the patients and subjected to chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA). RESULTS: Patient 1 was found to harbor a 190 kb deletion at 9q34.3, which encompassed most of EHMT1 (OMIM 607001), the key gene for Kleefstra syndrome (OMIM 610253). Patients 2 and 3 were siblings. CMA showed that they have shared four chromosomal copy number variations (CNVs) including a deletion at 9q34.3 which spanned 154 kb and 149 kb, respectively, and encompassed the EHMT1 and CACNA1B (OMIM 601012) genes. The remaining 3 CNVs were predicted to be with no clinical significance. CONCLUSION Microdeletions at 9q33.4 probably underlay the pathogenesis of DD/ID in the three children, for which EHMT1 may be the key gene.
Child ; Chromosome Deletion ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 9 ; Craniofacial Abnormalities/genetics* ; DNA Copy Number Variations ; Developmental Disabilities/genetics* ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Humans ; Intellectual Disability/genetics*

Objective:To investigate the proteins interacting with Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv1705c in human body. Methods:Rv1705c was prokaryotically expressed and inclusion bodies were collected for further lysis and the purification of Rv1705c. ELISA assay was used to detect the secretion of IFN-γ after stimulating macrophages with Rv1705c protein. Purified and biotin-labeled Rv1705c sample was incubated on the HuProt? human proteome microarray to screen the interacting proteins. GenePix Pro 6.0 software was used to extract all features of the data obtained from the scanned images and further analysis was performed based on bioinformatics databases such as GO and KEGG. GST pull-down was performed to verify the interaction of Rv1705c with PSMA3 and RSAD2.Results:The purification results showed that Rv1705c was expressed in endosomes. The secretion of IFN-γ increased significantly after stimulating macrophages with Rv1705c. A total of 29 potential Rv1705c-interacting proteins were screened, and nine of them showed signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)>1.6, namely PSMA3, NLN, THOP1, UPF3A, RSAD2, OMG, PNKD, STEAP3 and MED8. Further bioinformatics analysis revealed that PSMA3, RSAD2 and C1QBP were involved in innate immune signaling pathway, and there were interactions of PSMA3 and RSAD2 with IFN. GST pull-down assay validated that PSMA3 and RSAD2 interacted with Rv1705c.Conclusions:This study showed that PSMA3 and RSAD2 interacted with Rv1705c, providing reference for further investigation on the mechanism of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.

OBJECTIVETo compare the DNA methylation-related alteration induced by trichloroethylene (TCE) in human hepatic L-02 cells (L-02 cells) and SET deficient cells, and reveal the role of SET on the mechanisms in TCE-induced epigenetic pathway.

METHODSThe L-02 cells and pre-established SET deficient cells were treated with different TCE concentrations, and the changes of total cell viability, DNA methylation level and DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) activity were measured, respectively. In addition, the TCE-induced alteration in the protein expression of DNMT1, DNMT3a and DNMT3b were analyzed by Western blotting.

RESULTSAfter treatment with TCE for 24 h, the cell proliferation level was significantly decreased in both cell lines. When concentrations of TCE were 0, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 and 8.0 mmol/L, the proliferation levels of L-02 cells were 100.00±2.70, 83.34±2.38, 75.56±4.51, 71.67±2.77 and 66.67±1.63, respectively (F = 58.29, P < 0.001); the cell proliferation levels of SET deficient cells were 101.12±1.67, 85.01±2.33, 79.44±1.67, 78.337±3.89 and 76.11±3.33, respectively (F = 42.41, P < 0.001). When concentration of TCE reached 4.0 mmol/L, the difference of cell proliferation level between two groups was statistically significant (t = -3.51; P = 0.013). After treated by TCE for 24 h, the global DNA methylation significantly decreased in both cell lines (F value was 212.87 and 79.32, respectively, P < 0.001). The difference between two groups was not statistically significant. After treated by TCE for 24 h, the methyltransferases activities were significantly decreased in both cell cells (F values were 77.92 and 113.80, respectively, P-0.001). The SET deficiency could inhibit the decrease of methyltransferases activity under TCE treatment. When the concentration of TCE reached 8.0 mmol/L, the enzymatic activity of L-02 cells and SET deficient cells decreased to 67.61%±2.85% and 72.97%± 1.94%, respectively. The difference between two groups was statistically significant (t = -3.94, P = 0.008). After treated with TCE for 24 h, concentrations of TCE were 0, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 and 8.0 mmol/L, and the relative protein levels of DNMT1 in normal L-02 cells increased significantly to 1.00±0.03, 1.28±0.04, 1.20±0.04, 1.62±0.05, 1.43±0.04 (F = 103.00, P < 0.001); In SET deficient cells, the expressions of DNMT1 were 1.00±0.04, 0.96±0.02, 1.19±0.05, 0.85±0.03, 0.83±0.03, which was significantly down-regulated under TCE treatment (F = 44.18, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONSET deficiency can significantly attenuate the TCE-induced decreases of cell viability and DNMTs activity, as well as alteration of protein expression of DNMT1 in L-02 cells, which indicated that SET was involved in the mechanism of TCE-induced cytotoxicity and epigenetic pathway in L-02 cells.

Cell Line ; Cell Survival ; DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1 ; DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases ; DNA Methylation ; Humans ; Liver ; Trichloroethylene

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of KIR/HLA alleles with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among ethnic Han Chinese patients from southern China. METHODS: For 95 patients with HCC and 171 healthy controls, the genotype of HLA-C alleles was determined with a PCR sequence-specific oligonucleotides typing method on an Illumina GenDx NGSgo platform. Genotypes comprised of HLA-C and KIR gene alleles were also subjected to statistical analysis. RESULTS: In total 16 KIR genes (2DL2, 2DS2, 2DS3, 2DS5, 3DS1, 2DS1, 2DL5, 2DS4, 3DL1, 3DP1, 2DL3, 2DP1, 3DL3, 2DL1, 3DL2 and 2DL4) were discovered in the two groups. The frequencies of KIR2DL3 alleles and combinational genotypes of KIR2DL3/HLA-C1C2 were significantly lower in the patient group compared with the controls (0.9368 vs. 0.9883, χ²>3.84; P<0.05, OR = 0.1; 0.0112 vs. 0.2663, χ²>3.84; P<0.05, RR = 0.03). The frequency of HLA-C2C2 genotype of the patient group was significantly lower than that of the controls (0.0316 vs. 0.2690, P<0.05, RR = 0.09), while the frequency of HLA-C1C2 genotype was significantly higher than that of the controls (0.2316 vs. 0.0058, P<0.05, RR = 51.23). CONCLUSION Above results suggested that the KIR2DL3 allele is associated with lower risk for HCC. There may be individual difference in patients with HCC and HBV infection but various combinations of KIR/HLA alleles.
Alleles ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; genetics ; China ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Receptors, KIR

OBJECTIVETo list the key points for quality control during HLA-A, B, C, DRB1 and DQB1 allele typing by taking consideration of hardware, software and experimental procedures.

METHODSA total of 10 167 samples from randomly selected healthy blood donors and donor-recipient pairs from Shenzhen were typed for exons 2-4 of HLA-A, B, C, exon 2 of HLA-DRB1, and exons 2 and 3 of HLA-DQB1 by PCR- sequence-based typing. For 56 cases whose forward and reverse sequences were inconsistent, the samples were re-checked by a PCR-sequence specific oligonucleotide probe method. Novel alleles not included in the IMGT/HLA database were cloned and sequenced using in-house primers.

RESULTSEight novel HLA alleles were identified. A table for key positions of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were generated, which summarized the key points for quality control during HLA-A, B, C, DRB1 and DQB1 allele typing. Among the listed SNPs, 3 were located at the HLA-A locus, 8 were at the HLA-B locus, 6 were at the C locus, 6 were at the DQB1 locus, and 4 were at the DRB1 locus. To ensure the quality control, an unique sample number for DNA transferring tubes in the process of experiment should be considered.

CONCLUSIONA protocol for quality control should be enforced by checking all of the key points. The SNPs and critical control points of the alleles should be examined to ensure the accuracy of HLA typing results.