[Curative observation on allergic rhinitis treated by intranasal corticosteroids combined with nasal irrigation]

Objective: To observe the effect of normal saline with intranasal corticosteroids in the treatment of allergic rhinitis(AR).Method:Two hundred and seventy-three outpatients with severe persistent allergic rhinitis were participated in this study.All patients were randomly divided into three groups, and were treated for 12 weeks using three different therapies, respectively. Symptom assessment of each patient were performed before treatment, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks after treatment, respectively. The content of symptom assessment includes visual analogue scale, rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire, symptoms scores and endoscopy examination scores.Result:Efficacy of intranasal corticosteroids combined with normal saline nasal irrigation in the treatment of AR is better than that of intranasal corticosteroids only, and is almost equivalent to intranasal corticosteroids combined with antihistamines.Conclusion:Long-term application of intranasal corticosteroids in combination with normal saline irrigation can effectively control and mitigate symptoms of severe persistent AR patients, and improve the patient's quality of life. This combination therapy is a better choice for the patient who is not satisfied with the single use of intranasal corticosteroids.

[The relationship between IL-4 and trace elements in patients with allergic rhinitis of hui and han populations in Ningxia]

Objective: To examine the relationship between trace elements and IL-4 in patients with allergic rhinitis(AR).Method:According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 260 cases in AR group(130 hui cases, 130 han cases),and 260 cases in normal control group(130 hui cases, 130 han cases) were recruited in this study. The concentrations of IL-4 were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA), the contents of Zn, Mn, Ni, Se and Fe were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry(ICP-AES), and the correlation between the trace elements and IL-4 were also analyzed.Result:IL-4 levels in serum of both hui and han AR patients were higher than those in control group(P <0.05). Contents of serum Zn and Se in hui AR patients were lower than those in control group(P <0.05), Ni content was higher than that in control group(P <0.05);Zn level in serum of han AR cases was lower than that in control group,Ni content was higher than that in control group (P <0.05).The serum IL-4 level in AR group was positively correlated with Ni(P <0.01,r=0.671), and negatively correlated with Zn(P <0.01, r=-0.819).Conclusion:We demonstrated that there are significant correlations between IL-4 and Zn,Ni in the serum of patients with AR in Ningxia hui and han population. It indicates that trace elements are involved in the occurrence and development of AR, and may as a therauptic target of AR.

Effect of RRS1 gene knockdown on BT549 cell line proliferation and apoptosis in breast cancer

The RRS1 regulator of ribosome synthesis has recently been reported a new target gene linked to cancer development. This study therefore investigates RRS1effectsb on BT549 cell proliferation and apoptosis in breast cancer. Western blot (WB) and real - time quantitative PCR (qPCR) were used to detect the relative expression of RRS1 in breast cancer cells BT-549 and the normal HMEC mammary gland epithelial cells. BT-549 cells were cultured and infected with retroviruses and RRS1 expression was detected by qPCR and WB. The MTT assay, Caspase-3/7 and flow cytometry (FCM) then detected growth and apoptosis in the BT549 breast cancer BT cell. WB detected the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax genes related to apoptosis at the protein level, and MTT assay confirmed that RRS1 knockdown significantly decreased cell viability (p<0.05) and induced apoptosis which was rescued by shRNA-RRS1 expression. The amount of caspase-3 increased significantly and apoptosis was obvious. The apoptotic cells amount analyzed by FCM was significantly increased and RRS1 knockdown also decreased the expression of apoptosis related protein bcl-2 and simultaneously increased the expression of Bax (p<0.05). Finally, the RRS1 gene was highly expressed in breast cancer cell line BT549 and its knockdown significantly reduced proliferation and apoptosis in BT549 cell. These results suggest that RRS1 is a novel gene related to breast cancer and has an important role in breast cancer proliferation and apoptosis.

[Prognostic factors analysis of Ki-67, α-SMA expression in retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma]

Objective: To investigate the expression and prognostic value of alpha smooth muscle actin(α-SMA) and Ki-67 in retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma. Methods: Fifty retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma patients who underwent operation in Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital from May 2002 to December 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 14 males and 36 females form 21 to 79 and an average age of 48. Kaplan-Meier estimations and Cox regression analyses were performed. Results: Of the 50 cases, 45 patients underwent complete resection, and others are not. The overall 1, 3, 5-year survival rates were 86.0%, 46.0% and 28.0%, respectively. Tumor size, extent of resection, pathological stage, and expression levels of Ki-67 and alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were closely related to the survival of retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma patients (all P<0.05), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that pathological grade and degree of surgical resection were independent risk factors in the prognosis of patients (P<0.05). Conclusion: The high expression of α-SMA and Ki-67 are indicators of poor prognosis in retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma, which can be used as a potential survival predictor in patients with retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma.

Multiregion whole-exome sequencing of matched primary and metastatic tumors revealed genomic heterogeneity and suggested polyclonal seeding in colorectal cancer metastasis

Background

Distant metastasis accounts for 90% of deaths from colorectal cancer (CRC). Genomic heterogeneity has been reported in various solid malignancies, but remains largely under-explored in metastatic CRC tumors, especially in primary to metastatic tumor evolution.

Patients and methods

We conducted high-depth whole-exome sequencing in multiple regions of matched primary and metastatic CRC tumors. Using a total of 28 tumor, normal, and lymph node tissues, we analyzed inter- and intra-individual heterogeneity, inferred the tumor subclonal architectures, and depicted the subclonal evolutionary routes from primary to metastatic tumors.

Results

CRC has significant inter-individual but relatively limited intra-individual heterogeneity. Genomic landscapes were more similar within primary, metastatic, or lymph node tumors than across these types. Metastatic tumors exhibited less intratumor heterogeneity than primary tumors, indicating that single-region sequencing may be adequate to identify important metastasis mutations to guide treatment. Remarkably, all metastatic tumors inherited multiple genetically distinct subclones from primary tumors, supporting a possible polyclonal seeding mechanism for metastasis. Analysis of one patient with the trio samples of primary, metastatic, and lymph node tumors supported a mechanism of synchronous parallel dissemination from the primary to metastatic tumors that was not mediated through lymph nodes.

Conclusions

In CRC, metastatic tumors have different but less heterogeneous genomic landscapes than primary tumors. It is possible that CRC metastasis is, at least partly, mediated through a polyclonal seeding mechanism. These findings demonstrated the rationale and feasibility for identifying and targeting primary tumor-derived metastasis-potent subclones for the prediction, prevention, and treatment of CRC metastasis.

[Safety and efficacy of rotational atherectomy in the interventional treatment of coronary chronic total occlusion lesions]

Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of rotational atherectomy in the interventional treatment of coronary chronic total occlusion lesions. Methods: In this retrospective study,a total of 31 consecutive patients with coronary chronic total occlusion(CTO) lesions underwent rotational atherectomy in our hospital from February 2004 to December 2016 were enrolled,and the clinical features were analyzed. Coronary atherectomy was performed if balloon failed to cross the CTO lesions or balloon could not be fully dilated in the CTO lesions after wire crossing. The definition of procedure success was defined as residual stenosis less than 20% after implantation of drug eluting stent and rotational atherectomy. After the procedure, the patients were followed up to observe major adverse cardiac and cerebral vascular events which including cardiogenic death, myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accident, and target lesion revascularization. Results: The 1.25 mm diameter burr was firstly selected in 80.6% (25/31) patients,and 96.8%(30/31) patients used only 1 burr to complete the rotational atherectomy procedure. The complication rate was 9.8% (3/31) including 1 patient with coronary dissection and 3 patients with slow flow or no flow. There was 1 patent with both coronary dissection and slow flow. The procedure success rate was 96.8%(30/31). Interventional treatment related myocardial infarction occurred in 3 patients during hospitalization.The 30 patients with procedure success were followed up 36(11, 96) months. The incidence rate of major adverse cardiac and cerebral vascular events was 13.3% (4/30), of which the cardiogenic death rate was 3.3% (1/30), the myocardial infarction rate was 6.7% (2/30), cerebrovascular accident rate was 3.3%(1/30),and the target lesion revascularization rate was 6.7% (2/30). Conclusion: Rotational atherectomy is safe and effective in the interventional treatment of coronary CTO lesions.

[Relationship between screening and colorectal cancer incidence: a systematic review and meta-analysis]

Objective: To explore a relationship between screening and incidence for colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: Medline, Scopus, BIOSIS Previews, and the Cochrane Library were searched for studies, which included any randomized controlled trial (RCT) about CRC screening with a report on using endoscopy in screening arms and a usual care in control arms. Results: Nine qualified trials, four one-time and five two-or-more-time screening programs, were included in this review with 997 131 persons randomized and a median follow-up of 10-28 years. In an intention-to-screen analysis, screening was associated with a reduced incidence of advanced CRCs by 10%-60%. Compared with control groups, incidence of CRC firstly increased and then decreased following a screening procedure. Five RCT with six screening arms reported incidences at different follow-up time points, and the incidence ratios at the last time of follow-up were 0.96 (95%CI: 0.86-1.06), 0.80 (95%CI: 0.70-0.92), 1.02 (95%CI: 0.91-1.14), 0.80 (95%CI: 0.70-0.90), 0.83 (95%CI: 0.73-0.94) and 0.94 (95%CI: 0.85-1.05) at the 9.0th, 10.9th, 13.0th, 18.0th, 18.0th, and 19.5th year after baseline, respectively. Compared with population-based screening, people in the hospital/clinic-based screenings had more benefits from CRC incidence reduction, particularly for those with high endoscopy rates, more lesions detected and resected by screening. Conclusions: This study indicates that screening is likely associated with reduction of CRC incidence after 10 years since baseline screening, and this reduction seems to be highly affected by CRC risk of population screened, screening procedure program, and compliance to screening program including accepting endoscopy.

Analysis of genetic diversity of Chinese dairy goats via microsatellite markers

In this study, 15 polymorphic microsatellite markers were used to analyze the genetic structure and phylogenetic relationships of 6 dairy goat breeds in China, including 4 native developed breeds and 2 introduced breeds. The results showed that a total of 172 alleles were detected in 347 samples of the dairy goat breeds included in this study. The mean number of effective alleles per locus was 4.92. Except for BMS0812, all of the remaining microsatellite loci were highly polymorphic (polymorphism information content [PIC] > 0.5). The analysis of genetic diversity parameters, including the number of effective alleles, PIC, and heterozygosity, revealed that the native developed dairy goat breeds in China harbored a rich genetic diversity. However, these breeds showed a low breeding degree and a high population intermix degree, with a certain degree of inbreeding and within-subpopulation inbreeding coefficient ( > 0). The analysis of population genetic differentiation and phylogenetic tree topologies showed a moderate state of genetic differentiation among subpopulations of native developed breed dairy goats in China (0.05 < gene fixation coefficient [] < 0.15). The native developed breeds shared a common ancestor, namely, the Saanen dairy goat, originating from Europe. The results showed that there was a close genetic relationship between Wendeng and Laoshan dairy goats while the Guanzhong dairy goat and the Xinong Saanen dairy goat were also found to have a close genetic relationship, which were both in agreement with the formation history and geographical distribution of the breeds. This study revealed that adopting genetic management strategies, such as expanding pedigree source and strengthening multi-trait selection, is useful in maintaining the genetic diversity of native developed breeds and improving the population uniformity of dairy goats.

[To observe the effect of "Fangfenggubenkeli" on IL-4, IL-5, IL-10 and IFN-γ cytokines in PBMC supernatant of allergic rhinitis patients with lung depression and spleen efficiency]

Objective:To observe the effect of "Fangfenggubenkeli" on IL-4, IL-5, IL-10 and IFN-γ cytokines in PBMC supernatant of allergic rhinitis' patients with lung depression and spleen deficiency.Method:One hundred patients were randomly divided into two groups. The treatment group of 50 cases, was given to ancient side of the "Fangfenggubenkeli". The control group of 50 patients, was given to cetirizine hydrochloride, oral treatment. The levels of IL-4, IL-5, IL-10 and IFN-γ in the two groups were measured before and after treatment of 1 month. The changes of the laboratory indexes were compared between the two groups before and after treatment.Result:The levels of IL-4 in the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment (P < 0.01), and the levels of IFN-γ were significantly higher than those before treatment (P < 0.01), there was a statistically significant difference.Conclusion:The mechanism of "Fangfenggubenkeli" in patients with allergic rhinitis with lung depression may be related to the IFN-γ level, lower IL-4 level. Thereby Fangfenggubenkeli would improved the Th1/Th2 imbalance state as a whole.

CTA1: Purified and display onto gram-positive enhancer matrix (GEM) particles as mucosal adjuvant

The A1 subunit of cholera toxin (CTA1) retains the adjuvant function of CT, without its toxic side effects, making the molecule a promising mucosal adjuvant. However, the methods required to obtain a pure product are both complicated and expensive, constricting its potential commercial applicability. Here, we fused the peptidoglycan binding domain (PA) to the C-terminus of CTA1, which enabled the fusion protein to be expressed by Bacillus subtilis, and secreted into the culture medium. CTA1 was then purified and displayed on GEM particles using a one step process, which resulted in the formation of CTA1-GEM complexes. Next, the CTA1-GEM complexes were used as an adjuvant to enhance the immune responses of mice to the influenza subunit vaccine. It was observed that the CTA1-GEM complexes enhanced specific systemic (IgG) and mucosal (IgA) immune responses against antigen, and induced cellular immune responses as well. The data presented here suggests that CTA1-GEM complexes can serve as a viable mucosal adjuvant.

Inhibitory effect and mechanism of mesenchymal stem cells on melanoma cells

PURPOSE

To explore the inhibitory effect and mechanism of MSCs on melanoma proliferation.

METHODS

The inhibitory effect of MSCs on melanoma A375 cells was detected by co-culture and conditioned medium (CM) experiments using MTT method. The cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry. Then, Western Blot experiment detected the expression of proteins related to NF-κB signaling in A375 cells. The expression of IL-1Ra in MSCs was proved by RT-PCR. The over-expression and silencing vector pcDNA3.1-EGFP-IL-1Ra and pGPH1-IL-1R were constructed and transfected into MSCs cells. After that, the changes of inhibitory effect and cell cycle from MSCs-S and MSCs-O CM on A375 cells were explored. The expression of proteins related to NF-κB signaling in A375 cells after MSCs-S or MSCs-O CM treatment was detected by Western Blot. MSCs, MSCs-S, or MSCs-O and A375 cells were co-injected into nude mice under the arms, the growth of tumor was observed, the frozen sections were made, and H&E staining of tumor tissue was performed.

RESULTS

The proliferation of A375 cells was inhibited and the cell cycle of A375 was arrested by MSCs. The expressions of cytokines related to NF-κB signaling were down-regulated. Over-expression and silence of Interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), specifically blocking activation of NF-κB signaling, indicated that inhibitory effect from MSCs was enhanced or weakened respectively, which suggested that IL-1Ra was involved in the inhibitory effect. In vivo, tumor initiation and growth were significantly inhibited when A375 cells were co-injected with MSCs into nude mice, which were related to the expression level of IL-1Ra.

CONCLUSION

MSCs could inhibit the proliferation and tumor initiation of melanoma A375 cells through NF-κB signaling. MSCs could secret IL-1Ra and inhibit expressions of NF-κB signaling-related factors of tumor cells, and cause cell cycle arrest in G1 phase.

Enhanced soluble production of cholera toxin B subunit in Escherichia coli by co-expression of SKP chaperones

The cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) is a nontoxic portion of the cholera toxin that retains mucosal adjuvant properties. Expression of CTB in Escherichia coli is difficult as CTB aggregates and accumulates as insoluble inclusion bodies. To remedy this problem, the periplasmic chaperone, SKP, was investigated as possible co-expression partner to increase the solubility of recombinant CTB (rCTB) in E. coli. The result showed co-expression of SKP enhanced the soluble expression of rCTB in E. coli. Moreover, soluble rCTB was successfully expressed and secreted into the periplasmic space through the direction of the LTB leader signal. rCTB in periplasm was purified using an immobilized d-galactose resin; GM1-ELISA experiments showed that rCTB retains strong GM1 ganglioside-binding activity. Intranasal administration of ovalbumin (OVA) with rCTB significantly induced both mucosal and humoral immune responses specific to OVA. These data indicate that co-expression of the molecular chaperone SKP with CTB increased the solubility of rCTB while maintaining its function.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in women with gestational diabetes mellitus on overweight status of their children

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) as a group of medical complications in pregnancy are believed to be associated with an increased risk of poor fetal growth, but the influence on offspring’s body composition is not clear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between maternal hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and overweight status in the offspring of mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

A cross-sectional study among 1263 GDM mother-child pairs was performed in Tianjin, China. General linear models and logistic regression models were used to assess the associations of maternal hypertension in pregnancy with anthropometry and overweight status in the offspring from birth to 1–5 years old.

Offspring of GDM mothers who were diagnosed with hypertensive disorders during pregnancy had higher mean values of Z scores for birth weight for gestational age and birth weight for length, and higher mean values of Z scores for weight for age, weight for length/height, and body mass index for age at 1–5 years old than those of GDM mothers with normal blood pressure during pregnancy. Maternal hypertensive disorders of pregnancy were associated with increased risks of large for gestational age (OR 1.74, 95%CI 1.08–2.79) and macrosomia (OR 2.02, 95%CI 1.23–3.31) at birth and childhood overweight/obesity at 1–5 years old age (OR 1.88, 95%CI 1.16–3.04).

For offspring of mothers with GDM, maternal hypertension during pregnancy was a risk factor for macrosomia at birth and childhood overweight and obesity, and controlling the maternal hypertension may be more important for preventing large for gestational age babies and childhood obesity.

Identification of Alternaria Species Causing Heart Rot of Pomegranates in California

Alternaria heart rot of pomegranate fruit is generally considered a minor disease. However, the current listing of the causal pathogen in California as "Alternaria sp." or as "A. alternata and other Alternaria spp." restricts trade of the crop to some major export markets where quarantines are in place in an effort to prevent the spread of unknown or undescribed pathogens. Thus, species identification of the pathogen is critical in determining whether infected fruit should be regulated by quarantines. In this study, 86 isolates of Alternaria were collected from pomegranate fruit with Alternaria heart rot symptoms from major production areas in California. An unweighted pair group method with arithmetic means analysis based on amplified fragment length polymorphisms revealed two main clusters, each with a high degree of variability. One of the clusters contained 24 isolates from pomegranate and one reference isolate of Alternaria arborescens. Reference isolates of A. alternata and A. tenuissima were found among pomegranate isolates in the other cluster, and these two species could not be separated. In maximum-parsimony analysis of ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer sequence data, representative pomegranate isolates all clustered with reference sequences of species in section Alternaria. Single-nucleotide differences separated A. arborescens, A. gaisen, and two pomegranate isolates from the majority of the remaining isolates. Sequence comparisons of gapdh and OPA10-2 loci indicated that none of the pomegranate isolates were identical to A. gaisen, which is a quarantine pathogen. Due to high genetic similarity and variability of morphological characteristics, revisions of the taxonomy of small-spored Alternaria spp. have been proposed by others. Based on this recent taxonomic work and work herein by us, pomegranate isolates from California can be assigned to A. alternata and A. arborescens. Reassessment of export restrictions for California pomegranate due to the previous pathogen classification is warranted. Fruit injection inoculations with conidia of 12 representative isolates 3 months before harvest caused typical symptoms of Alternaria heart rot, whereas flower inoculations did not result in fruit disease.

Abstract S5-04: Low-fat dietary pattern and breast cancer overall survival in the women's health initiative dietary modification randomized controlled trial

Introduction: Among 48,835 postmenopausal women randomized in the Women's Health Initiative Dietary Modification (WHI DM) primary prevention trial, 1,767 women were diagnosed with breast cancer during the 8.3 years of dietary intervention. While differences were not statistically significant, there were fewer breast cancers diagnosed in the low fat dietary group women (HR 0.92 95% CI 0.84-1.01, P=0.09) with somewhat lower breast cancer mortality (HR 0.77 95% CI 0.48-1.22) than seen in control group women (JAMA 2006; 295:629). These findings were recently updated, and after 10.9 years (mean) post-diagnosis follow-up, breast cancer overall survival among these 1,767 women measured from diagnosis was greater in the dietary group (10 year survival, 82% vs 78%, 168 (2.24%) versus 319 (2.71%) deaths; HR 0.80 95% CI 0.66-0.97, P=0.02) (AACR Annual Meeting 2016, abstract CT0433, Clinical Trials Plenary Session). We now report low-fat dietary pattern influence on breast cancer overall survival in subgroups defined by breast cancer characteristics.

Methods: The WHI DM trial, conducted at 40 US clinical centers, from1993-1998 enrolled 48,835 postmenopausal women, aged 50-79, without prior breast cancer, with normal mammogram and dietary fat intake &gt;32% of total energy. Participants were randomly assigned to a dietary intervention group (40%, n=19,541) with goals of fat intake reduction to 20% of energy and increased fruits, vegetables and grain intake, or a usual diet control group (60%, n=29,294). As previously reported, the dietary modification program reduced fat intake, increased fruit, vegetable and grain intake and was associated with modest weight loss (all P&lt; 0.001). The current secondary analysis outcome is breast cancer overall survival in subgroups defined by breast cancer characteristics for cases diagnosed during the dietary intervention period. Because of possible selection prior to breast cancer diagnosis, these analyses do not compare randomized outcomes. Therefore, careful attention is paid to control of risk factors for breast cancer in the analysis.

Results: The examined subgroups included histology (ductal, lobular, other), estrogen receptor (ER) status (positive vs. negative by local laboratory), progesterone receptor (PR) status, HER2 status, triple negative (yes/no), stage (local, regional or distant), grade (well, moderately, poorly differentiated), tumor size (&lt;1, 1- 2, &gt;=2 cm), and nodal involvement (none, 1-3, 4+). None of the tests of interaction in subgroups were statistically significant. All subgroup hazard ratios (HR) were less than one except for ER negative cancers, triple negative cancers and those with 4+ positive lymph nodes. The results are suggestive of no influence of the low-fat dietary pattern on triple negative cancers (HR 1.64 95% CI 0.73-3.70 for triple negative vs. HR 0.73 95% CI 0.56-0.95 for other breast cancers, interaction P=0.06).

Conclusion: Compared to a usual diet control group, women randomized to a dietary intervention group providing a low-fat dietary pattern had a significantly increased overall survival following a breast cancer diagnosis with the possible exception of those developing triple negative cancers.

Citation Format: Chlebowski RT, Aragaki AK, Thomson CA, Anderson G, Manson JE, Simon MS, Rohan TE, Snetselar LG, Lane D, Barrington WE, Vitolins M, Womack C, Qi L, Hou L, Thomas F, Prentice RL. Low-fat dietary pattern and breast cancer overall survival in the women's health initiative dietary modification randomized controlled trial [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr S5-04.

Limited HLA sequence variation outside of antigen recognition domain exons of 360 10 of 10 matched unrelated hematopoietic stem cell transplant donor-recipient pairs

Traditional DNA-based typing focuses primarily on interrogating the exons of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes that form the antigen recognition domain (ARD). The relevance of mismatching donor and recipient for HLA variation outside the ARD on hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) outcomes is unknown. This study was designed to evaluate the frequency of variation outside the ARD in 10 of 10 (HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DQB1) matched unrelated donor transplant pairs (n = 360). Next-generation DNA sequencing was used to characterize both HLA exons and introns for HLA-A, -B, -C alleles; exons 2, 3 and the intervening intron for HLA-DRB1 and exons only for HLA-DQA1 and -DQB1. Over 97% of alleles at each locus were matched for their nucleotide sequence outside of the ARD exons. Of the 4320 allele comparisons overall, only 17 allele pairs were mismatched for non-ARD exons, 41 for noncoding regions and 9 for ARD exons. The observed variation between donor and recipient usually involved a single nucleotide difference (88% of mismatches); 88% of the non-ARD exon variants impacted the amino acid sequence. The impact of amino acid sequence variation caused by substitutions in exons outside ARD regions in D-R pairs will be difficult to assess in HSCT outcome studies because these mismatches do not occur very frequently.

Screening a Phage Display Library for Two Novel OmpU-Binding Peptides with Adhesion Antagonistic Activity against Vibrio mimicus

Vibrio mimicus is a pathogen that causes ascites disease in fish. We have previously demonstrated that the outer membrane protein U (OmpU) is an important adhesin in V. mimicus. Here eight specific OmpU-binding phage clones, which presented three different OmpU-binding peptides (designated P1, P2, P3), were screened from a commercially available phage displayed 12-mer peptide library using rOmpU protein as target. Then, synthetic OmpU-binding peptides were measured for their adhesion antagonistic activity and binding affinity via adhesion inhibition test and non-competitive ELISA, respectively. The results showed that after co-incubated with the mixture of rOmpU and P3, visible green fluorescence could be observed on the epithelioma papulosum cyprinidi (EPC) cells surface; while the EPC cells co-incubated with the mixture of rOmpU and P1/P2 exhibited little green fluorescence. The average adhesion number of V. mimicus 04–14 isolate before and after treatment with peptide was 21.4 ± 1.5, 20.8 ± 0.8 (irrelevant peptide), 20.2 ± 0.5 (P3), 5.1 ± 0.7 (P1) and 3.4 ± 0.8 (P2), respectively. There was a significant decrease in the adhesive level of 04–14 isolate treated with P1/ P2 compared to the untreated isolate (p<0.01). The affinity constants of P1 and P2 were (6.17 ± 0.19) × 10⁸ L/mol and (1.24 ± 0.56) × 10⁹ L/mol, respectively. Furthermore, protective effects of P1 and P2 on grass carps challenged with V. mimicus were preliminary detected. It was found there was delayed death of fish in the groups treated with P1/P2, and the survival rate of challenged fish improved with the increase of the dose of adhesion antagonistic peptide. Taken together, two novel OmpU-binding peptides, which possessed adhesion antagonistic activity, high affinity and a certain degree of antibacterial activity against V. mimicus, were screened and identified.

[The analysis of the allergic rhinitis and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps]

Objective:To study the influence of allergen,sIgE,total IgE in allergic rhinitis and chronic rhniosinusitis with nasal polyps.Method:Fifty patients with allergic rhinitis and fifty patients with both allergic rhinitis and nasal polyp were involved in this study.Average dense of sIgE and total IgE in serum were dectected. Result:The kinds of allergens between the two groups were siginificantly diffierent;there was no siginificantly diffierence on sIgE average dense(P>0.05);total IgE dense was higher in allergic rhinitis and chronic rhniosinusitis with nasal polyps patients(P>0.05).Conclusion:AR with nasal polyps in patients was high proportion of food allergies and allergic reactions strength was high than the AR.

Effects of high dose ascorbic acid on haemostasis during and after cardiopulmonary bypass

Observations were made on the changes in platelets, bleeding time and clot retraction and the protective effects of high dose ascorbic acid in 31 patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Platelet counts in Group B (receiving ascorbic acid) were higher ( p<0.05) and platelet adhesion and aggregation were significantly lower than in Group A (no ascorbic acid) during perfusion. Platelet numbers and function rose much faster, bleeding time was significantly shorter and clot retraction better in Group B than in Group A postoperatively. These results suggest that ascorbic acid may reduce platelet destruction and depletion during CPB and promote the recovery of the haemostatic mechanism postoperatively.

Surgical management of secondary hyperparathyroidism: how to effectively reduce recurrence at the time of primary surgery

BACKGROUND

Successful parathyroidectomy (PTX) often results in a dramatic drop in the parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels, relieves the patient from clinical symptoms, and reduces mortality. Although PTX is generally a successful treatment for progressive secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) patients subjected to surgery, a significant proportion develops recurrent SHPT following PTX.

KEY MESSAGE

SHPT requiring PTX occurs more commonly in progressive chronic kidney disease and in long-term lithium therapy. Operative approaches include subtotal PTX, total PTX with or without autotransplantation, and possible thymectomy. Each approach has its proponents, advantages, and disadvantages. Although PTX offers the highest percentage cure for SHPT, compared to all other medical and surgical treatment, recurrent hyperparathyroidism can be observed in some patients dependent on follow-up time. A literature review and analysis of recent data regarding how to reduce recurrence of SHPT at the time of primary surgery was performed. The current literature and our own experience in the field have confirmed that pre-operative imaging, thymectomy, stereo magnifier, and surgical procedure may effectively reduce recurrence of SHPT at the time of primary surgery.

Investigation of the diversity and origins of Chinese dairy goats via the mitochondrial DNA D-loop

To determine the genetic diversity, origins, and the phylogeography of Chinese dairy goats, we analyzed 162 complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D- loop sequences from 9 dairy goat breeds and compared them with 8 goat sequences that were previously reported in GenBank. The length of the mtDNA D-loop was 1,212 to 1,215 bp, and 97 polymorphic sites were identified. We also defined 62 haplotypes, including 35 unique haplotypes. The haplotype diversity value of all the dairy goats was 0.952, and the nucleotide diversity was 0.011 per site. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that Chinese dairy goats were divided into haplogroups A and B, with haplogroup A serving as the predominant group. Median-joining network and analyses of molecular variance indicated that Chinese dairy goats were more weakly phylogeographically structured than other domestic goats. A mismatch distribution analysis and Fu's test revealed that at least 1 population expansion event occurred in the demographic history of Chinese dairy goats.