Lipooligosacharide (LOS) of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (gonococci, GC) is involved in the interaction of GC with host cells. Deletion of the alpha-oligosaccharide (alpha-OS) moiety of LOS (lgtF mutant) significantly impairs invasion of GC into epithelial cell lines. GC opacity (Opa) proteins, such as OpaI, mediate phagocytosis and stimulate chemiluminescence responses in neutrophils in part through interaction with members of the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) family, which includes CEACAM3 (CD66d), a human neutrophil specific receptor for phagocytosis of bacteria. In the present work, we examined the effects of OpaI-expressing lgtF mutant on phagocytosis by HeLa-CEACAM3 cells and chemiluminescence responses in neutrophils. The results showed that lgtF mutant even expressing OpaI completely lost the ability to promote either phagocytosis mediated by CEACAM3 interaction in HeLa cells or chemiluminescence responses in neutrophils. These data indicated that Opa proteins in the lgtF mutant, which might result from the conformational change, cannot be functional.
Antigens, Bacterial ; chemistry ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; Carbohydrate Sequence ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; genetics ; immunology ; Gene Expression Regulation ; HeLa Cells ; Host-Pathogen Interactions ; Humans ; Lipopolysaccharides ; chemistry ; immunology ; Luminescent Measurements ; Mutation ; Neisseria gonorrhoeae ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathogenicity ; Neutrophils ; immunology ; microbiology ; Phagocytosis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of premature rupture of the membrane (PROM) on neonatal complications in premature infants.

METHODSThe registration information of 7684 preterm infants with gestational age <37 weeks were collected from the cooperative units in the task group between January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014. Specially trained personnel from each cooperative units filled in the unified form in a standardized format to record the gender, gestational age, birth weight, PROM, placental abruption, antenatal corticosteroid, Apgar score, amniotic fluid pollution, and complications of the infants. The data were analyzed comparatively between the cases with PROM and those without (control).

RESULTSThe preterm mortality rate was significantly lower but the incidences of ICH, NEC, ROP and BPD were significantly higher in PROM group than in the control group (P<0.05). The 95% confidence interval of the OR value was <1 for mortality, and was >1 for ICH, NEC, ROP and BPD. After adjustment for gestational age, birth weight, gender, mode of delivery, placental abruption, placenta previa, prenatal hormones, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), gestational period hypertension and 5-min Apgar score <7, the incidences of NEC, ROP and BPD were significantly different between the two groups (P<0.05) with 95% confidence interval of OR value >1, but the mortality rate and incidence of ICH were not significantly different between the two groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONPROM is a risk factor for NEC, ROP and BPD in preterm infants, and adequate intervention of PROM can reduce the incidences of such complications as NEC, ROP and BPD in the infants.

Apgar Score ; Birth Weight ; Female ; Fetal Membranes, Premature Rupture ; pathology ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Newborn, Diseases ; etiology ; Infant, Premature ; Pregnancy ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUNDAlcohol dependence (AD) is a complex disorder characterized by impaired control over drinking. It is determined by both genetic and environmental factors. The recent approach of genome-wide association study (GWAS) is a powerful tool for identifying complex disease-associated susceptibility alleles, however, a few GWASs have been conducted for AD, and their results are largely inconsistent. The present study aimed to screen the loci associated with alcohol-related phenotypes using GWAS technology.

METHODSA genome-wide association study with the behavior of regular alcohol drinking and alcohol consumption was performed to identify susceptibility genes associated with AD, using the Affymetrix 500K SNP array in an initial sample consisting of 904 unrelated Caucasian subjects. Then, the initial results in GWAS were replicated in three independent samples: 1972 Caucasians in 593 nuclear families, 761 unrelated Caucasian subjects, and 2955 unrelated Chinese Hans.

RESULTSSeveral genes were associated with the alcohol-related phenotypes at the genome-wide significance level, with the ankyrin repeat domain 7 gene (ANKRD7) showing the strongest statistical evidence for regular alcohol drinking and suggestive statistical evidence for alcohol consumption. In addition, certain haplotypes within the ANKRD7 and cytokine-like1 (CYTL1) genes were significantly associated with regular drinking behavior, such as one ANKRD7 block composed of the SNPs rs6466686-rs4295599-rs12531086 (P = 6.51 × 10(-8)). The association of alcohol consumption was successfully replicated with rs4295599 in ANKRD7 gene in independent Caucasian nuclear families and independent unrelated Chinese Hans, and with rs16836497 in CYTL1 gene in independent unrelated Caucasians. Meta-analyses based on both the GWAS and replication samples further supported the observed significant associations between the ANKRD7 or CYTL1 gene and alcohol consumption.

CONCLUSIONThe evidence suggests that ANKRD7 and CYTL1 genes may play an important role in the variance in AD risk.

Adult ; Aged ; Alcohol Drinking ; genetics ; Blood Proteins ; Cytokines ; Female ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Proteins ; genetics ; Receptors, Cytokine ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy of phloroglucinol in preventing bladder spasm after transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP).

METHODSUsing the random sampling method, we assigned 74 cases of TURP into a treatment group (n = 39), given 80 mg phloroglucinol every day for 3 days, and a control group (n = 35), left untreated. Then we observed the frequency, duration and pain of bladder spasm within the 3 days and compared them between the two groups.

RESULTSThe mean frequency, duration and pain visual analogue score of bladder spasm were (4.3 +/- 1.2) times, (7.2 +/- 2.1) min and 3.2 +/- 1.6 respectively in the treatment group, as compared with (7.5 +/- 2.4) times, (15.6 +/- 6.8) min and 4.7 +/- 2.3 in the control, with statistically significant differences between the two groups (P < 0.05). And no obvious adverse reactions were found in the treatment group.

CONCLUSIONPhloroglucinol is safe and effective for the prevention and treatment of bladder spasm following TURP.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phloroglucinol ; therapeutic use ; Postoperative Complications ; prevention & control ; Transurethral Resection of Prostate ; adverse effects ; Urinary Bladder Neck Obstruction ; etiology ; prevention & control

This study was aimed to investigate the effects of gambogic acid on the cells of high-risk patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in vitro and its mechanism. The inhibition effect of gambogic acid on growth of MUTZ-1 cell line of MDS-RAEB was detected by MTT method. Apoptosis and cell cycle were detected by morphological observation and flow cytometry respectively. The expressions of bax/bcl-2 gene at mRNA level were detected by RT-PCR. The results indicated that the Gambogic acid inhibited the growth of MUTZ-1 cells, the inhibitory rate of gambogic acid with the range of 0.2 - 0.8 microg/ml was enhanced along with increasing of drug concentration. Flow cytometric assay showed that the apoptotic rate of MUTZ-1 cells treated by gambogic acid also was enhanced along with increasing of drug concentration, the apoptotic rates resulting from gambogic acid (0, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 microg/ml) were (5 +/- 0.5)%, (13 +/- 0.5)%, (37 +/- 0.7)% and (56 +/- 0.6)% respectively. The characteristic changes of apoptosis emerged in MUTZ-1 cells after being exposed to gambogic acid. Gambogic acid could significantly down-regulate the expressions of bcl-2 gene in a dose dependent manner, however, it had no effects on bax gene. It is concluded that within the range of concentration from 0.4 to 0. 8 microg/ml, gambogic acid can inhibit the growth of MUTZ-1 cells by inducing their apoptosis and down-regulating the expression of bcl-2 gene, which may be one of the main mechanisms underlying its antitumor effects.
Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Line ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Xanthones ; pharmacology ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo detect the serum proteomic patterns by using SELDI-TOF-MS and CM10 ProteinChip techniques in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, and to evaluate the significance of the proteomic patterns in colorectal cancer staging.

METHODSA total of 76 serum samples were obtained from CRC patients at different clinical stages, including Dukes A (n = 10), Dukes B (n = 19), Dukes C (n = 16) and Dukes D (n = 31). Different stage models were developed and validated by bioinformatics methods of support vector machines, discriminant analysis and time-sequence analysis.

RESULTSThe model I formed by six proteins of peaks at m/z 2759.6, 2964.7, 2048.0, 4795.9, 4139.8 and 37 761.6 could do the best as potential biomarkers to distinguish local CRC patients (Dukes A and Dukes B) from regional CRC patients (Dukes C ) with an accuracy of 86.7%. The model II formed by 3 proteins of peaks at m/z 6885.3, 2058.3 and 8567.8 could do the best to distinguish locoregional CRC patients (Dukes A, B and C) from systematic CRC patients (Dukes D) with an accuracy of 75.0%. The mode III could distinguish Dukes A from Dukes B with an accuracy of 86.2% (25/29). The model IV could distinguish Dukes A from Dukes C with an accuracy of 84.6% (22/26). The model V could distinguish Dukes B from Dukes C with an accuracy of 85.7% (30/35). The model VI could distinguish Dukes B from Dukes D with an accuracy of 80.0% (40/50). The model VII could distinguish Dukes C from Dukes D with an accuracy of 78.7% (37/47). Different stage groups could be distinguished by the two-dimensional scattered spots figure obviously.

CONCLUSIONOur findings indicate that this method can well be used in preoperative staging of colorectal cancers and the screened tumor markers may serve for guidance of integrating treatment of colorectal cancers.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; blood ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; blood ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Proteins ; blood ; Neoplasm Staging ; methods ; Preoperative Care ; Protein Array Analysis ; methods ; Proteomics ; methods ; Reproducibility of Results ; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization ; methods

OBJECTIVESTo detect the serum proteomic patterns by using SELDI-TOF-MS (surface enhanced laser desorption/ ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry) technology and CM10 ProteinChip in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, and to evaluate the significance of the proteomic patterns in the tumour staging of colorectal cancer.

METHODSSELDI-TOF-MS and CM10 ProteinChip were used to detect the serum proteomic patterns of 76 patients with colorectal cancer, among them, 10 Stage I, 19 Stage II, 16 Stage III and 31 Stage IV samples. Different stage models were developed and validated by support vector machines, discriminant analysis and time-sequence analysis.

RESULTSThe Model I formed by 6 protein peaks (m/z: 2759.58, 2964.66, 2048.01, 4795.90, 4139.77 and 37761.60) could be used to distinguish local CRC patients (Stage I and Stage II) from regional CRC patients (Stage III) with an accuracy of 86.67% (39/45). The Model II formed by 3 protein peaks (m/z: 6885.30, 2058.32 and 8567.75) could be used to distinguish locoregional CRC patients (Stage I, Stage II and Stage III) from systematic CRC patients (Stage IV) with an accuracy of 75.00% (57/76). The Model III could distinguish Stage I from Stage II with an accuracy of 86.21% (25/29). The Model IV could distinguish Stage I from Stage III with accuracy of 84.62% (22/26). The Model V could distinguish Stage II from Stage III with accuracy of 85.71% (30/35). The Model VI could distinguish Stage II from Stage IV with accuracy of 80.00% (40/50). The Model VII could distinguish Stage III from Stage IV with accuracy of 78.72% (37/47). Different stage groups could be distinguished by the two-dimensional scattered spots figure obviously.

CONCLUSIONThis method showed great success in preoperatively determining the colorectal cancer stage of patients.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; blood ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; blood ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Gene Expression Profiling ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Proteins ; blood ; Neoplasm Staging ; Preoperative Care ; methods ; Protein Array Analysis ; methods ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization ; methods