Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a representative form of post-infectious autoimmune neuropathy with heterogenous manifestations. It was originally considered as an ascending demyelinating polyneuropathy in Western countries. However, the discovery of anti-ganglioside antibodies on the basis of molecular mimicry theory could help us better understand various kinds of focal and regional variants as well as axonal type of GBS those were frequently found from Asian countries. Recent development of new techniques about anti-ganglioside complex antibodies is making more detailed descriptions for specific or unusual clinical manifestations. It has been regarded that GBS has good prognosis if treated properly as early as possible, but it still shows high mortality and morbidity rate with frequent long term neurologic and medical complications. Unfortunately, there are only two options for medical treatment, intravenous immunoglobulin and plasmapheresis, for the last 100 years. Several clinical studies on new immunotherapy targeting complement activating system with background of molecular mimicry using animal model are underway. We hope that these new treatments will be helpful for the future patients.
Antibodies ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Axons ; Complement System Proteins ; Gangliosides ; Guillain-Barre Syndrome ; Hope ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Immunotherapy ; Miller Fisher Syndrome ; Models, Animal ; Molecular Mimicry ; Mortality ; Plasmapheresis ; Polyneuropathies ; Prognosis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the proliferation- inhibitory and apoptosis inducing effect of ganglioside GM3 on human multiple myeloma cell line U266 cells and its possible mechanisms.

METHODSMTT assay and flow cytometry were used to observe the effects of GM3 ganglioside on proliferation and apoptosis of human myeloma cell line U266. Effects of different concentration of ganglioside GM3 on the mRNA expression level of BCL-2 and BAX were detected by Real-time PCR.

RESULTSMTT assay and Flow Cytometry showed that ganglioside GM3 could induce the apoptosis and inhibit the proliferation of multiple myeloma U266 cell line, and both the effects were enhanced with the increase of GM3 ganglioside concentration. Compared with the control group, the relative expression of BAX mRNA with the increase of GM3 concentration in experimental group was enhanced gradually(r=0.968), while the relative mRNA expression of anti-apoptotic gene BCL-2 was decreased gradually（r=-0.727).

CONCLUSIONGM3 ganglioside can induce apoptosis and inhibit the proliferation of U266 cell line in a concentration dependent manner. The mechanism may be related with up- regulation of BAX expression and down-regulation of BCL-2.

BACKGROUND: Recently, anti-ganglioside complex (GSC) antibodies were discovered among the various subtypes of Guillain-Barré syndrome. GSC is the novel glycoepitopes formed by two individual ganglioside molecules. CASE REPORT: We present a 36-year-old man with overlap Miller Fisher syndrome and acute bulbar palsy who had anti-GSC antibody that provided diagnostic robustness. CONCLUSION: Anti-GSC testing could be considered important in patients who show atypical manifestation with negative antibody reaction against each constituent ganglioside.
Adult ; Antibodies ; Bulbar Palsy, Progressive ; Gangliosides ; Guillain-Barre Syndrome ; Humans ; Miller Fisher Syndrome

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) are both rare post-infectious neurological disorders. The co-existence of these conditions has often been reported despite of low incidence. We describe a 20-year-old male, who presented with acute flaccid paralysis and encephalopathy. The patient showed reversible MRI lesions suggesting ADEM. This case showed anti-GT1a IgG and anti-GM1 IgM antibodies positivity. We suggest that certain immunogenicity within central and peripheral nervous system may share a common autoimmune process during the disease course.
Antibodies* ; Brain Diseases ; Encephalomyelitis, Acute Disseminated* ; Gangliosides ; Guillain-Barre Syndrome* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Incidence ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Nervous System Diseases ; Paralysis ; Peripheral Nervous System ; Young Adult

Our study aims to explore the effects of lentivirus-mediated microRNA-124 (miR-124) gene-modified bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) transplantation on the repair of spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. BMSCs were isolated from the bone marrow of rats. The target gene miR-124 was identified using a luciferase-reporter gene assay. Seventy-two rats were selected for construction of the SCI model, and the rats were randomly divided into the blank group, sham group, SCI group, negative control (NC) group, overexpressed miR-124 group and si-PDXK group. The mRNA expression of miR-124 and the mRNA and protein expression of pyridoxal kinase (PDXK) were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. The locomotor capacity of the rats was evaluated using the Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) scale. Brdu, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), neurofilament (NF) and microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) were detected using immunohistochemistry. The expression levels of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), prostacyclin (PGI2) and gangliosides (GM) were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. PDXK was identified as the target gene of miR-124. The overexpressed miR-124 group exhibited higher miR-124 expression than the SCI, NC and si-PDXK groups. Compared with the SCI and NC groups, the PDXK expression was downregulated in the overexpressed miR-124 and si-PDXK groups, and the BBB scores were significantly increased 7, 21 and 35 days after transplantation. The double-labeled positive cell densities (Brdu+NSE/NF/MAP2) and the expression levels of TRH, PGI2 and GM in the overexpressed miR-124 group were significantly higher than those in the NC and SCI groups. These results indicated that miR-124 targeted PDXK to accelerate the differentiation of BMSCs into neurocytes and promote SCI repair.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Bone Marrow* ; Bromodeoxyuridine ; Cell Count ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Epoprostenol ; Gangliosides ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intermediate Filaments ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation* ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells* ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; Phosphopyruvate Hydratase ; Pyridoxal Kinase ; Rats* ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Messenger ; Spinal Cord Injuries* ; Spinal Cord* ; Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: We investigated the anti-osteoarthritic effects of deer bone extract on the gene expressions of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and collagen type II (COL2) in interleukin-1β-induced osteoarthritis (OA) chondrocytes. MATERIALS/METHODS: Primary rabbit chondrocytes were treated as follows: CON (PBS treatment), NC (IL-1β treatment), PC (IL-1β + 100 µg/mL glucosamine sulphate/chondroitin sulphate mixture), and DB (IL-1β + 100 µg/mL deer bone extract). RESULTS: The results of the cell viability assay indicated that deer bone extract at doses ranging from 100 to 500 µg/mL inhibits cell death in chondrocytes induced by IL-1β. Deer bone extract was able to significantly recover the mRNA expression of COL2 that was down-regulated by IL-1β (NC: 0.79 vs. DB: 0.87, P < 0.05) and significantly decrease the mRNA expression of MMP-3 (NC: 2.24 vs. DB: 1.75) and -13 (NC: 1.28 vs. DB: 0.89) in OA chondrocytes (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that deer bone extract induces accumulation of COL2 through the down-regulation of MMPs in IL-1β-induced OA chondrocytes. Our results suggest that deer bone extract, which contains various components related to OA, including chondroitin sulphate, may possess anti-osteoarthritic properties and be of value in inhibiting the pathogenesis of OA.
Cell Death ; Cell Survival ; Chondrocytes* ; Chondroitin ; Collagen Type II* ; Collagen* ; Deer* ; Down-Regulation ; Gangliosides* ; Gene Expression* ; Glucosamine ; Matrix Metalloproteinases* ; Osteoarthritis ; RNA, Messenger

No abstract available.
Adult ; Autoantibodies/*blood ; Gangliosides/blood/*immunology ; Humans ; Male ; Ophthalmoplegia/blood/*diagnosis/immunology ; Recurrence ; Syndrome

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Abnormalities of the peripheral nervous system occur in 5% of patients with lymphoma. Polyneuropathy has not been described in patients with mantle-cell and marginal-zone B-cell lymphomas. CASE REPORT: Two elderly patients with indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma developed a progressive sensory polyneuropathy that was associated with serum autoantibodies directed against asialosyl/sialosyl gangliosides and myelin-associated glycoprotein/sulfated glucuronyl paragloboside, respectively, which are peripheral-nerve antigens. The oligoclonal pattern of these antibodies hinted at a lymphoma-induced immune dysregulation. The neuropathy stabilized clinically during treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin G. B-cell lymphoma was managed with a "watchful waiting" approach. CONCLUSIONS: The concept of antigen-specific, immune-mediated neuropathy associated with slow-growing lymphoma of mature B-cells may be underrecognized. The principle of treating the illness underlying neuropathy may not be always indicated or necessary if risk-benefit and cost-benefit analyses are taken into account.
Aged ; Antibodies ; Autoantibodies ; Autoimmunity ; B-Lymphocytes* ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Gangliosides ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin* ; Peripheral Nervous System ; Polyneuropathies*

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors for erectile dysfunction (ED) in patients with diabetes mellitus and provide some evidence for the clinical treatment of the disease.

METHODSWe searched MedMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wan Fang Data, VIP and ZADL for randomized controlled trials on PDE-5 inhibitors for ED in diabetic men and evaluated the methodology of the included trials with the Jadad scale. We used the erectile function domain in the IIEF (IIEF-EF), IIEF questions (IIEF-Q) 3 and 4, SEP-2 and -3, and Global Assessment Questions (GAQ) as the main evaluation indexes and employed the Review Manager 5. 1. 0 software for meta analysis.

RESULTSA total of 13 studies were included, which were all high quality trials with Jadad score > 3. The IIEF-EF scores in 10 of the included studies were subjected to meta analysis using the random-effect model (REM), with a weighted mean difference (WMD) of 5.64 (95% CI 4.41 - 6.83, P < 0.001). The fixed-effect model (FEM) analysis of the IIEF-Q scores in 6 of the studies showed the WMD to be 0.96 (95% CI 0.83 -1.08, P < 0.001) for IIEF-Q3 and 1.11 (95% CI 0.98 - 1.25, P < 0.001) for IIEF-Q4. FEM analysis of the SEP-2 scores showed WMD = 17.67 (95% CI 12. 38 - 22. 97, P < 0.001) in 2 of the studies, and that of the SEP-3 scores WMD = 23.64 (95% CI 17. 49 - 29.79, P < 0.001) in 5 of the studies. The GAQ scores in 11 of the studies were subjected to REM analysis, with OR = 6. 20 and 95% CI 3.65 - 10.52 (P < 0.001). REM analysis was performed on the adverse reactions in 11 of the studies, with OR = 7.43 and 95% CI 4.11 - 13.44 (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONPDE-5 inhibitors can effectively and safely improve erectile function in patients with diabetes mellitus.

AC133 Antigen ; Animals ; Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; metabolism ; Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; CD24 Antigen ; metabolism ; CD55 Antigens ; metabolism ; Female ; Gangliosides ; metabolism ; Glycoproteins ; metabolism ; Hedgehog Proteins ; metabolism ; Humans ; Hyaluronan Receptors ; metabolism ; Isoenzymes ; metabolism ; Neoplastic Stem Cells ; metabolism ; Octamer Transcription Factor-3 ; metabolism ; Peptides ; metabolism ; Receptors, Notch ; metabolism ; Retinal Dehydrogenase ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; Wnt Signaling Pathway