Anti-Bacterial Agents ; therapeutic use ; Bronchiectasis ; drug therapy ; epidemiology ; etiology ; microbiology ; China ; Ciliary Motility Disorders ; drug therapy ; epidemiology ; etiology ; microbiology ; Connective Tissue ; metabolism ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; metabolism ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; drug effects ; pathogenicity

A 25-year-old woman presented with jaundice, palpitation, and weight loss of 5 kg during a period of 2 weeks. Laboratory tests showed elevated levels of liver enzymes (AST 1,282 IU/L, ALT 1,119 IU/L) and total bilirubin (6.4 mg/dL); negative for hepatitis virus infection; elevated serum levels of triiodothyronine (T3, 3.60 ng/dL), free thyroxine (fT4, 3.82 ng/dL), and lowered serum level of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH, <0.025 microIU/mL); and positive for thyroid stimulating antibody and anti-mitochondrial antibody (AMA). The liver biopsy findings were consistent with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Accordingly, oral steroid therapy was started with 60 mg of prednisolone under the impression of AIH associated with Graves' disease. After a week of steroid therapy, the clinical manifestation showed significant improvement, with normalization of both liver and thyroid functions. Diagnosis of the liver condition of patients who present with hyperthyroidism and liver dysfunction is important, so that appropriate therapy can be promptly initiated.
Adult ; Alanine Transaminase/analysis ; Antibodies, Antinuclear/blood ; Aspartate Aminotransferases/analysis ; Bilirubin/blood ; Female ; Graves Disease/complications/*diagnosis/drug therapy ; Hepatitis, Autoimmune/complications/*diagnosis/drug therapy ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins, Thyroid-Stimulating/blood ; Liver/enzymology/metabolism/pathology ; Prednisolone/therapeutic use ; Steroids/therapeutic use ; Thyrotropin/blood

Adult ; Animals ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; therapeutic use ; Leukemia, Large Granular Lymphocytic ; drug therapy ; Lymphocytes ; metabolism ; Swine ; Thymocytes ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical efficacy of Compound Xiatianwu tablets in the treatment of active rheumatoid arthritis.

METHODOne hundred and eighty cases with active rheumatoid arthritis were randomly divided into the control group (60 cases) with leflunomide, sulfasalazine, and celecoxib; the treatment group (120 cases) given compound Xiatianwu tablets on the basis of the control group, 2 tablets each time, 3 times/day, with the course of treatment of 3 month. Patients of the two groups were observed for clinical symptoms, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, rheumatoid factor, and immunoglobulin changes before and after the treatment.

RESULTThe treatment group showed an overall efficiency of 94. 2% , the Xiatianwu group showed an overall efficiency of 80. 0%, while the control group showed an overall efficiency of 81.7%. The difference among the three groups was statistically significant (P <0. 05 or P <0. 01) , indicating that the treatment group was superior to the Xiatianwu group, while the Xiatianwu group was superior to the control group.

CONCLUSIONCompound Xiatianwu tablets has remarkable effect in the treatment of active rheumatoid arthritis.

Adult ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; drug therapy ; immunology ; metabolism ; pathology ; C-Reactive Protein ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Erythrocytes ; drug effects ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tablets ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a self-limited systemic inflammatory illness, and coronary artery lesions (CALs) are a major complication determining the prognosis of the disease. Epidemiologic studies in Asian children suggest that the etiologic agent(s) of KD may be associated with environmental changes. Laboratory findings are useful for the diagnosis of incomplete KD, and they can guide the next-step in treatment of initial intravenous immunoglobulin non-responders. CALs seem to develop in the early stages of the disease before a peak in inflammation. Therefore early treatment, before the peak in inflammation, is mandatory to reduce the risk of CAL progression and severity of CALs. The immunopathogenesis of KD is more likely that of acute rheumatic fever than scarlet fever. A hypothetical pathogenesis of KD is proposed under the premise of a "protein homeostasis system"; where innate and adaptive immune cells control pathogenic proteins that are toxic to host cells at a molecular level. After an infection of unknown KD pathogen(s), the pathogenic proteins produced from an unknown focus, spread and bind to endothelial cells of coronary arteries as main target cells. To control the action of pathogenic proteins and/or substances from the injured cells, immune cells are activated. Initially, non-specific T cells and non-specific antibodies are involved in this reaction, while hyperactivated immune cells produce various cytokines, leading to a cytokine imbalance associated with further endothelial cell injury. After the emergence of specific T cells and specific antibodies against the pathogenic proteins, tissue injury ceases and a repair reaction begins with the immune cells.
Animals ; Coronary Artery Disease/drug therapy/etiology/metabolism ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous/therapeutic use ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome/complications/*diagnosis/drug therapy/metabolism

Adult ; Aged ; Benzamides ; therapeutic use ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Imatinib Mesylate ; Immunoglobulins ; metabolism ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Piperazines ; therapeutic use ; Pyrimidines ; therapeutic use ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and/or plasmapheresis (PP) are effective in preventing antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) of kidney allografts, but AMR is still a problem. This study reports our experience in living donor renal transplantation in highly sensitized patients. Ten patients with positive crossmatch tests or high levels of panel-reactive antibody (PRA) were included. Eight patients were desensitized with pretransplant PP and low dose IVIG, and two were additionally treated with rituximab. Allograft function, number of acute rejection (AR) episodes, protocol biopsy findings, and the presence of donor-specific antibody (DSA) were evaluated. With PP/IVIG, six out of eight patients showed good graft function without AR episodes. Protocol biopsies revealed no evidence of tissue injury or C4d deposits. Of two patients with AR, one was successfully treated with PP/IVIG, but the other lost graft function due to de novo production of DSA. Thereafter, rituximab was added to PP/IVIG in two cases. Rituximab gradually decreased PRA levels and the percentage of peripheral CD20+ cells. DSA was undetectable and protocol biopsy showed no C4d deposits. The graft function was stable and there were no AR episodes. Conclusively, desensitization using PP/IVIG with or without rituximab increases the likelihood of successful living donor renal transplantation in sensitized recipients.
Adult ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/therapeutic use ; Antigens, CD20/biosynthesis ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins/metabolism ; Immunophenotyping ; Immunosuppressive Agents/therapeutic use ; Isoantibodies/chemistry ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/therapy ; Kidney Transplantation/*methods ; Lymphocytes/metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect and mechanism of Shenqi Fuzheng Injection (SFI) in repairing immune function of organism at cellular and molecular levels.

METHODSSeventy-seven patients with pathologically confirmed diagnosis of breast cancer were assigned to three groups, the 22 patients in group A received surgical operation only; the 26 in group B were treated with surgical operation and chemotherapy; and to the 29 in group C, both chemotherapy and SFI were given after surgical operation. Besides, a group D with 22 patients with benign tumor was set up for control. The protein expressions of CD83, CD80 and CD86 in all patients' tumor tissue and axillary lymph node were detected by flow cytometry before and after treatment.

RESULTSLevels of CD83, CD80 and CD86 in both tumor tissue and lymph node of cancer patients were significantly lower than those in the control (P < 0.05); and those in group B were significantly lower than in group A (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); but no significant difference was found in comparing the corresponding indices between group A and group C (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe immune function of tumor patients could be impaired by tumor and chemotherapy definitely, and SFI could give aid to the repairing of immunity by way of participating in the activation of dendritic cells and the up regulation of co-stimulus molecules.

Adult ; Aged ; Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; B7-1 Antigen ; metabolism ; B7-2 Antigen ; metabolism ; Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; immunology ; surgery ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating ; drug therapy ; immunology ; surgery ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Immunity ; drug effects ; Immunoglobulins ; metabolism ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effects of supplementation of glutamine (GLN) on maintaining glutathione (GSH) level, immune system function, liver function, and clinical outcome of patients receiving abdominal operation.

METHODSForty patients undergoing elective abdominal surgical treatment were randomly divided into 2 groups: study group (n = 20) and control group (n = 20). All patients received total parenteral nutrition (TPN) for up to 7 days during perioperative period. The study group received TPN supplemented with GLN dipeptide while the control group received TPN without GLN dipeptide. Patients in both groups received equivalent nitrogen and caloric intake. Blood sample was taken on preoperative day, and the 1st, 3rd, 6th postoperative day to measure GSH level, immune indexes, and liver function indexes.

RESULTSThe decrease of GSH level in plasma and red blood cell (RBC) in study group was less than that in control group during postoperative period. Ratio of GSH/glutathione disulfide (GSSG) in plasma in study group was higher than that in control group on the 3rd postoperative day (52.53 +/- 11.46 vs. 31.43 +/- 7.27, P = 0.001). Albumin level in study group was higher than that in control group on the 3rd postoperative day (37.7 +/- 3.8 g/L vs. 33.8 +/- 4.2 g/L, P = 0.02). There was no significant difference in the levels of immunoglobin (IgG, IgM, IgA) or T lymphocyte subgroup (CD4, CD8, CD4/CD8) in both groups during postoperative period. There was one case with infectious complication in control group, while none in study group. A trend of shortened hospital stay was observed in study group compared with control group (22.3 +/- 2.1 d vs. 24.9 +/- 1.7 d, P = 0.32).

CONCLUSIONSSupplementation of GLN-enriched TPN has beneficial effects on maintaining GSH levels in plasma and RBC, sustaining GSH/GSSG ratio and albumin level, and keeping antioxidant abilities during postoperative period in patients with abdominal operation, with the trends of decreasing incidence of infectious complication and shortening hospital stay.

Abdomen ; surgery ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Alanine Transaminase ; blood ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; blood ; Dietary Supplements ; Female ; Glutamine ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Glutathione ; blood ; Glutathione Disulfide ; blood ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; blood ; Length of Stay ; statistics & numerical data ; Lymphocyte Count ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Parenteral Nutrition ; Postoperative Complications ; prevention & control ; Serum Albumin ; metabolism ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase ; blood

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Wuhu Decoction (WHD) on the expression of co-stimulation molecule of peripheral dendritic cells (DC), CD80, CD83 and CD86, in infants with asthma, in order to provide practical basis for further elucidate the action mechanism of WHD in preventing and treating infantile asthma.

METHODSSixty infants with asthma of Fei phlegm-heat accumulation syndrome type were randomized into the treatment group treated with WHD and the control group treated with Western medicine (fluticasone propionate oral taking or inhalation). And 10 healthy infants were set as normal control. With Thomas method adopted, the DC were isolated from peripheral blood of all infants subjected. The expressions of surface co-stimulation molecules of DC, CD80, CD83 and CD86, were detected by flow cytometry. Their changes before and after treatment in different groups were analyzed and compared.

RESULTSExpressions of CD80 and CD86 of peripheral blood DC in asthmatic infants were remarkably higher than those in the normal control (P<0.01). In the treated group, CD80 expression lowered from 18.06 +/- 4.53 before treatment to 13.18 +/- 3.02 after treatment and CD86 expression lowered from 38.61 +/- 10.54 to 29.65 +/- 8.55; while in the control group, the two expressions were lowered from 18.40 +/- 3.86 to 15.34 +/- 3.90, and from 38.29 +/- 11.67 to 35.88 +/- 13.85 respectively, the lowering in both groups were statistically significant (P<0.01 and P<0.05), but it was more significant in the treated group (P<0.05). As for CD83, no significant difference existed between groups and no change was found in either group after treatment (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONWHD can regulate the co-stimulation molecules of dendritic cells in asthma infants to reduce the expressions of CD80 and CD86.

Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Asthma ; blood ; drug therapy ; B7-1 Antigen ; metabolism ; B7-2 Antigen ; metabolism ; Child, Preschool ; Dendritic Cells ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; metabolism ; Infant ; Male ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; metabolism ; Phytotherapy