ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy,safety and optimal dose of tacrolimus monotherapy in patients with refractory lupus nephritis(LN) who were resistant to cyclophosphamide(CYC).MethodsA total of 14 LN patients (2 men and 12 women) with persistent proteinuria who were resistant to CYC treatment more than 8 g for half a year were enrolled.Tacrolimus was initiated at 2 mg/d (patient weight＜60 kg) or 3 mg/d(patient weight≥60 kg) which was administered in two divided doses.Prospective data on daily proteinuria,serum album level and serologic lupus activity were collected and followed for 6 months.ANOVA and Pearson correlation analysis were used for statistical analysis.Results Mean age at baseline was(30±9) years.Mean urinary protein decreased significantly from(6.2±5.1) g at baseline to (1.1±0.9) g at 6 months (F=16.21,P＜0.01).Mean serum album level increased significantly from (27.9±9.7) g/L at baseline to(37.8±2.2) g/L at 6 months(F=16.71,P＜0.01 ).Complete or partial response was observed in 86％ of patients receiving tacrolimus therapy.The effective dosage in this study was 0.03-0.06mg·kg-1·d-1 of the patients who had complete response or partial response to tacrolimus.The tacrolimus level in partially and completely responding patients was less than 3 ng/ml.There was no significant difference among blood tacrolimus levels of complete,partial,and no response patients [(1.6-±0.4),(2.0±0.6) and (22±1.1) ng/nl],respectively).No definite correlation was found between efficacy and tacrolimus level.Tacrolimus was well tolerated at current dose,besides one with new onset hypertension and one with alopecia.ConclusionOur results suggest that tacrolimus at low dosage and serum level is potentially effective and safe for the treatment　of patients with LN and persistent proteinuria resistant to CYC.The optimal dosage of tacrolimus for LN may　be 0.03-0.06 mg·kg-1·d-1.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the allelic frequency distribution and genetic parameters of nine non-CODIS DNA index systems of the short tandem repeat (STR) loci (D2S1772, D6S1043, D7S3048, D8S1132, D11S2368, D12S391, D13S325, D18S1364, and GATA198B05). METHODS: A total of 353 blood samples were collected, extracted, amplified, and analyzed from unrelated healthy individuals of Han nationality in Hunan Province, China. RESULTS: One hundred and fourteen alleles were observed in the population with corresponding allelic frequencies ranged from 0.001 0 to 0.323 0. For all the nine non-CODIS STR loci, the observed genotypic data showed no significant deviations from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The Ho, He, PIC, DP, and PE of the studied non-CODIS STR loci ranged from 0.1080 to 0.1950, 0.8050 to 0.8920, 0.7700 to 0.8600, 0.9250 to 0.9660 and 0.6070 to 0.7800, respectively. CONCLUSION Nine non-CODIS STR loci have high degrees of polymorphisms, which may be useful in individual forensic identification and parentage testing in forensic practice.
Alleles ; Asian People/genetics* ; China ; Ethnicity/genetics* ; Gene Frequency ; Genetics, Population ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Microsatellite Repeats/genetics* ; Polymorphism, Genetic

Background: Lhasa is the main residence of Tibetans and one of the highest cities in the world. Its unique geography and ethnic population provide the chance to investigate the interactions among high altitude, ethnicity, and cardiac adaptation. Meanwhile, echocardiographic data about healthy Tibetans on a large scale are not available. This study aimed to analyze physiological factors related to ventricular size and valvular function in healthy Tibetans in Lhasa. Methods: A representative sample of residents in Tibet was recruited using a multistage cluster random sampling method. Two?dimensional echocardiographic measurements and Doppler evaluation for valvular function were performed. Healthy Tibetans in Lhasa constituted the study population. Associations between physiological parameters and ventricular dimensions in healthy Tibetans were analyzed by canonical correlation analysis. Factors related to valvular regurgitations were determined by logistic regression analysis. Results: The 454 healthy Tibetans (340 females and 114 male) in Lhasa were included in the final analysis. Canonical correlation analysis revealed that weight was positively correlated with the proximal right ventricular outflow diameter and the basal left ventricular linear dimension in both genders. Weight and pulse were negatively related to mild tricuspid regurgitation. Age was a positive factor for pulmonary and aortic regurgitations. The same was found between systolic blood pressure and mitral regurgitation. Conclusions: Weight is associated with ventricular size and valvular regurgitation in healthy Tibetans. It should be of more concern in research of high altitude population.

Objective To find the changes of haemagglutination inhibition ( HI ) antibody level against A/California/07/2009 (H1N1) within one month after pandemic A/H1N1 influenza vaccine (A/H1N1InfV) vaccination, and to provide data for drawing up immunization protocols against novel influenza . Methods The HI antibodies against A/California/07/2009 (H1N1) in sera from the inoculated subjects were tested by HI test .The geometric mean titer ( GMT) , geometric mean increase ( GMI) , seroconversion (SC) rate, seroprotection (SP) rate of HI antibodies were compared among the sera collected on day 3, 7, 14, 30 post vaccination .Results 961 participants were injected with A/H1N1InfV.In subjects aged 3 to 11 years, the antibody level peaked on day 14 post vaccination, but neither on day 14 nor on day 30, the lower bound of the two -sided 95%CI for the SP rate could fulfill the criteria of the FDA for influenza vac-cine.In subjects aged 12 to 60 years, the antibody level peaked on day 14 post vaccination and the SC rate , SP rate and GMI fulfilled the criteria of the European Medicines Agency ( EMEA) and the FDA for influenza vaccine. In subjects aged more than 60 years, the antibody level peaked on day 30 post vaccination , and the SC rate, SP rate and GMI on day 30 fulfilled the criteria of the EMEA and the FDA .Conclusion One dose A/H1N1InfV vaccination was able to induce enough protection on day 14 for subjects aged 12 to 60 years, on day 30 for subjects aged more than 60 years;however , for subjects aged 3 to 11 years who were antibody-negative at baseline , the lower bound of the two-sided 95%CI for the SP rate on day 14 and day 30 couldn′t fulfill the criteria of the FDA for influenza vaccine .

OBJECTIVETo measure breast basic dimension by using computer-aided projection fringe system.

METHODSA system has been developed for measuring breast basic dimension based on computer-aided projection fringe measurement and programming software. Plastic manikins breast's SN-N (sternal notch to nipple distance), N-ML (nipple to midline distance), N-N (internipple distance), MBW (base width of breast) and N-IMF (nipple to inframammary fold distance) are measured with this system. At the same time, these items are also measured with routine ruler.

RESULTSThis study indicate that the system has some merits: (1) non-touching measurement; (2) it is very rapid, the patient measured need hold his breath only 0.5 second, and all the time it takes is about 2.5 minutes; (3) the measurement's sensitivity is as high as to 0.6 mm, which meets the clinic requirement entirely; (4) the measurement's accuracy of the system is not significantly when comparing to the routine ruler's.

CONCLUSIONSComputer-aided projection fringe system for measuring breast basic dimension is feasible and advanced.

This study reports the preparation and identification of soluble programmed death-1 (PD-1) ligand-1 (sPD-L1) and its antibodies of mouse origin. Immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography was used to perform on-column refolding with simultaneous purification of denatured sPD-L1, and soluble sPD-L1 with purity of 95% was obtained. The purified sPD-L1 was verified by immunoblotting using a commercial goat-anti-human PD-L1 antibody. An ELISA-based assay showed that it also had high binding activity for its cognate receptor PD-1. Furthermore, mouse anti-sPD-L1 antiserum of high titer was raised using the purified sPD-L1 as an immunogen, and the specific IgG antibodies were purified using sPD-L1-HiTrap affinity chromatography. In addition, a sensitive sandwich ELISA was established using the purified IgG antibodies together with the commercial goat antibodies. In conclusion, the preparation of soluble sPD-Ll and its antibodies provide the basis for detection of the potential anti-PD-L1 antibodies and soluble PD-L1 in humans as well as for further investigation of its in vivo bioactivities and characterization of its potential receptors.
Animals ; Antibodies ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; Antigens, CD ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; B7-H1 Antigen ; Chromatography, Affinity ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; Female ; Humans ; Immune Sera ; immunology ; Immunoblotting ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Recombinant Proteins ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Solubility

The Snail transcription factor has been described as a strong repressor of E-cadherin and its stable expression induces epithelial-mesenchymal transitions responsible for the acquisition of motile and invasive properties during tumor progression. A fascinating analogy that has been raised is the seemingly similar and shared characteristics of stem cells and tumorigenic cells, which prompted us to investigate whether the mechanisms of the acquisition of invasiveness during tumor progression are also involved in bone marrow stem cells (MSCs). In this study, we examined whether Snail gene expression acts in the mobility, cytoskeleton and anti-apoptosis of MSCs. Cell Transmigration Assay and Western Blotting were performed to evaluate the cell migratory capability and the related Signaling pathways in MSCs transfected with the Snail expression vector of pCAGGSneo-SnailHA (MSCs-Sna), compared with MSCs(MSCs-neo) transducted with the control vector(pCAGGSneo). Actin cytoskeleton by Immunofluorescence and Sub-G1 detection by a FACScan flow cytometer were performed to analyze the cytoskeleton and antiapoptotic capability of MSCs-Sna. Compared with MSCs-neo, MSCs-Sna show significantly more migration in the transwell migration system (P < 0.05). And suppression of PI-3K activation by the specific PI-3K inhibitor, Wortmannin, brought on a reduction in Snail-mediated MSCs migration. In addition, we provide evidences that high expression of Snail inhibited the serum-deprivation triggered apoptosis and cytoskeleton changement of MSCs. These data suggest the possibility of facilitating MSCs migration to injured tissue and subsequent survival and maintenance in the local microenvironment after their transplantation, by investigating and increasing the advantage factors such as Snail high expression in MSCs.
Actins ; metabolism ; Apoptosis ; genetics ; Cell Movement ; Cells, Cultured ; Culture Media, Serum-Free ; Genes, Reporter ; genetics ; Humans ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; genetics ; Snail Family Transcription Factors ; Transcription Factors ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Transfection

Objective To study the molecular characteristics of Noroviruses causing outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis in Huzhou.Methods From 2008 to 2010,total 119 fecal specimens collected from outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis were tcsted for Norovirus. Partial sequence of RNA dependent RNA polymerase(RdRp) of the positive samples were amplified by RT-PCR,then the PCR production were purified,sequenced and put into phylogenetic analysis. Results 50 of 119 specimens were positive for Norovirus by real-time RT-PCR.Out of those 50 Norovirus positive specimens,9 were Norovirus Genogroup Ⅰ (GI) positive,35 were Norovirus Genogroup Ⅱ (GⅡ)positive,6 was both Norovirus GⅠ and GⅡ positive.12 PCR products for RdRp were selected for further studies on sequencing.Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the 5 GⅠ norovirus isolates were belonged to genotype GⅠ/2 and GⅠ/3.Of the 7 GⅡ norovirus isolates,6 were belonged to genotype GⅡ/4,1 was belonged to genotype GⅡb.Conclusion Norovirus is a major cause of outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis in Huzhou and the epidemic strains of norovirus isolated from Huzhou had a high degree of genetic diversity.

BACKGROUNDLhasa is the main residence of Tibetans and one of the highest cities in the world. Its unique geography and ethnic population provide the chance to investigate the interactions among high altitude, ethnicity, and cardiac adaptation. Meanwhile, echocardiographic data about healthy Tibetans on a large scale are not available. This study aimed to analyze physiological factors related to ventricular size and valvular function in healthy Tibetans in Lhasa.

METHODSA representative sample of residents in Tibet was recruited using a multistage cluster random sampling method. Two-dimensional echocardiographic measurements and Doppler evaluation for valvular function were performed. Healthy Tibetans in Lhasa constituted the study population. Associations between physiological parameters and ventricular dimensions in healthy Tibetans were analyzed by canonical correlation analysis. Factors related to valvular regurgitations were determined by logistic regression analysis.

RESULTSThe 454 healthy Tibetans (340 females and 114 male) in Lhasa were included in the final analysis. Canonical correlation analysis revealed that weight was positively correlated with the proximal right ventricular outflow diameter and the basal left ventricular linear dimension in both genders. Weight and pulse were negatively related to mild tricuspid regurgitation. Age was a positive factor for pulmonary and aortic regurgitations. The same was found between systolic blood pressure and mitral regurgitation.

CONCLUSIONSWeight is associated with ventricular size and valvular regurgitation in healthy Tibetans. It should be of more concern in research of high altitude population.