Immunogenicity study of low-dose administration of hepatitis B virus vaccine in newborn infants: A cost reduction trial

Different doses of hepatitis B virus vaccine—prepared by Korea Green Cross Corporation, were given to healthy infants born to HBsAg-negative mothers at birth, 1 and 6 months of age. A dose of 2 μg was administered intradermally in Group A and, in the three other groups, the vaccine was given intramuscularly (i.m.). An adequate follow-up observation was possible for 9 months after birth in 22, 25, 23 and 21 infants in Groups A, B, C and D, respecvely.
Group C (5 μg, i.m.) produced seroconversion most rapidly, showing the highest rate (96%) at 9 months of age. The lowest seroconversion rate (5%) was found at the age of 1 month in Group A subjects, but the rate increased to 91% after a booster dose was given at 6 months of age.
While it can be concluded that a 5 μg i.m. dose of vaccine at 0, 1 and 6 months of age is optimum for the immunization of infants in efficacy and economy, a 2 μg intradermal dose can also be considered as an immunogenic and economical regimen, though the immune response is slower and a special technique is required for immunization.     

对拉米夫定耐药的慢性乙型肝炎病人治疗研究现状

核苷类似物拉米夫定于1998年在我国上市，为乙型肝炎的抗病毒治疗带来了新的希望。然而持续的拉米夫定治疗会使病人产生耐药从而导致严重后果。本文对这部分病人的抗病毒治疗进展进行综述。     

急性重症肝炎患者发生肝性脑病危险因素多元Logistic回归研究

目的探索急性重症肝炎患者发生肝性脑病的危险因素，以便进行早期干预。方法收集血浆凝血酶原时间（PT）延长，活动度〈40％的急性重症肝炎患者69例，对69例患者的年龄、性别和基础疾病等临床背景资料和总胆红素、直接胆红素、谷草转氨酶（AST）、谷丙转氨酶（ALT）、血浆白蛋白、胆碱脂酶、血浆凝血酶原时间（PT）、白细胞计数（WBC）、血小板计数（Plt）等实验室检查数据进行单因素分析和多元Logistic回归分析。结果单因素分析和多元Logistic回归分析均提示年龄、血胆红素水平和血浆凝血酶原时间在肝性脑病组和非肝性脑病组之间有统计学差异。结论约30％的急性重症肝炎患者发展成为肝性脑病。高龄、血浆凝血酶原时间延长、活动度下降、高血浆总胆红素等是急性重症肝炎患者发展成为肝性脑病的潜在危险因素。     

Synthesis of a new carrier for immunization: polytuftsin

Sequential poly(Arg-Thr-Lys-Pro) consisting mainly of the repeat of tuftsin Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg was synthesized by condensing the p-nitrophenyl ester of Arg(HCI)-Thr-Lys-(2-CI-Z)-Pro in the presence of HOBt . Two haptenic sequences of the Pre-S region of hepatitis B virus antigen (10–26 and 39–55) were prepared by solid phase and coupled to polytuftsin via glutaraldehyde. The peptides, either free or coupled to polytuftsin, were administrated to mice and the antisera were assayed by ELISA . Coupling the peptides to the polypeptide significantly improved the anti-peptide antibody titer in Freund complete adjuvant or in NaCI 0.9%. Cross-reaction between antibodies induced by the peptides and the native protein was also improved. Polytuftsin alone is very poorly immunogenic.     

Hepatitis B virus genetic diversity and its impact on diagnostic assays

Summary.  Hepatitis B virus (HBV) circulates in blood as closely related, but genetically diverse molecules called quasispecies. During replication, HBV production may approach 10¹¹ molecules/day, although during peak activity this rate may increase 100–1000 times. Generally, DNA polymerases have excellent fidelity in reading DNA templates because they are associated with an exonuclease which removes incorrectly added nucleotides. However, the HBV-DNA polymerase lacks fidelity and proofreading function partly because exonuclease activity is either absent or deficient. Thus, the HBV genome and especially the envelope gene, is mutated with unusually high frequency. These mutations can affect more than one open reading frame because of overlapping genes. The S gene contains an exposed major hydrophilic region (residues 110–155), which encompasses the 'a' determinant that is important for inducing immunity. Nucleotide substitutions in this region are common and result in reduced binding or failure to detect hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in diagnostic assays. Adaptive immunity also depends on the recognition of HBsAg by specific antibody and variants pose a threat if they interfere with binding to antibody. Finally, genomic hypervariability allows HBV to escape selection pressures imposed by antiviral therapies, vaccines and the host immune system, and is responsible for creating genotypes, subgenotypes and subtypes.     

狭叶五味子中化合物扁枝杉香豆素和(-)-表儿茶酸体外抗乙型肝炎病毒活性研究

目的 研究从狭叶五味子Schisandra lancifolia中分离化合物扁枝杉香豆素(phyllocoumarin)和(-)-表儿茶酸[(-)-epicatechin]的体外抗乙型肝炎病毒(HBV)活性.方法 为了筛选和确认扁枝杉香豆素和(-)-表儿茶酸体外抗HBV活性,以HepG2.2.15细胞为体外研究HBV模型,分别用RPMI 1640完全培养基稀释不同质量浓度的药物作用于细胞,培养3 d后收集上清,采用MTT法检测药物对HepG2.2.15细胞的生长影响和ELISA法检测培养上清中HBsAg和HBeAg的水平,评价扁枝杉香豆素和(-)-表儿茶酸对HBsAg和HBeAg的影响.结果 扁枝杉香豆素和(-)-表儿茶酸具有一定的体外抗HBV活性,其细胞毒性非常小,CC_(50)均大于200μg/mL.扁枝杉香豆素具有较强的抑制HBsAg和HBeAg分泌作用.阳性对照药物阿德福韦酯也抑制HBVHBsAg和HBeAg分泌,但在相同质量浓度(1.6μg/mL)下其抑制作用较扁枝杉香豆素弱.结论 狭叶五味子中化合物扁枝杉香豆素和(-)-表儿茶酸具有一定体外抑制HBV HBsAg和HBeAg分泌的作用,从而起到抗HBV作用.     

肝病治疗仪治疗高原慢性乙型肝炎患者的临床观察

目的观察WGLY-801型电脑肝病治疗仪对慢性乙型肝炎的治疗效果。方法随机选取慢性乙型肝炎患者144例,分为治疗组66例,在常规治疗基础上加用肝病治疗仪;对照组78例,采用常规治疗,观察两组治疗效果。治疗三疗程共45天(每疗程15天),观察临床症状、肝功能的动态变化,并对最终效果进行评价。结果经治疗后,两组患者临床症状、肝功能较前均有好转,但治疗组起效快,疗程明显缩短,疗效好,差异有明显统计学意义(p<0.05)。结论肝病治疗仪,操作简单,疗效确切,值得进一步推广应用。     

Identification of new immunogenic peptides in conserved regions of hepatitis C virus (HCV) 1b with the potentiality to generate cytotoxic T lymphocytes in HCV1b+ HLA-A24+ patients

Aim: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) 1b is resistant to standard interferon therapy and has a high risk of developing into hepatocellular carcinoma at the late stage of infection. Therefore, new therapeutic modalities for HCV1b infection must be developed. One approach would be active specific immunotherapy with highly immunogenic HCV1b peptides. Methods: HCV1b-derived 44 synthetic peptides were selected based on their binding scores to HLA-A24. Peptide-specific IgG were measured by ELISA. Peptide-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs) were induced in vitro by repeated peptide-stimulation. Results: We identified three novel candidate peptides of HCV1b proteins containing HLA-A24 binding motifs. Each of them had the ability to induce HLA-A24-restricted and peptide-specific CTL activity, and IgGs specific to each of them were detected in the plasma of HCV1b patients. Among these three peptides, a peptide NS5A 2132-2142 was recognized by both cellular and humoral immunities in the majority of blood samples of patients tested. More importantly, the peptide-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) showed cytotoxicity against cells cotransfected with NS5A and HLA-A2402 genes in an HLA-restricted manner. This is an additional report to our previous study. Conclusion: These findings may provide a new insight into the development of a peptide-based specific immunotherapy for HCV1b-infected patients.     

A case of acute hepatitis E associated with multidrug hypersensitivity and cytomegalovirus reactivation

A 65-year-old Japanese man was hospitalized because of acute hepatitis and severe cholestasis due to hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection combined with a drug reaction to a cold preparation. He died of disseminated intravascular coagulation and severe intestinal bleeding due to systemic cytomegalovirus reactivation following the development of severe eruptions with marked eosinophilia due to drug hypersensitivity to taurine and ursodeoxycholate preparations. The close interaction between viral infection or reactivation and drug hypersensitivity was considered as a pathophysiology in this case, which emphasizes the need for further study of the immunological mechanism of the interaction.     

The comparative evaluation of cellular localization of viral antigens with microscopic changes in the ileum of cattle infected with bovine viral diarrhea

The correlation between microscopic changes with cellular localization of viral antigens was studied in the ileum of 16 cases infected with bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV). Microscopic lesions in the ileum included multifocal erosive and ulcerative ileitis, severe congestion and hemorrhage, crypt dilation and mucus engorgement, epithelial debris and leukocytes, lymphoid depletion of Peyer’s patches, herniation of mucosal epithelium into depleted Peyer’s patches, and fibrinoid vasculitis of submucosal vessels. BVDV antigen was detected by immunohistochemistry in macrophages, dendritic cells, smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, epithelial cells of crypts, and mucosal epithelium, together with other mononuclear cells including lymphocytes, plasma cells, fibroblasts, and intramural ganglial cells. No consistent correlation between the presence of BVDV antigen and vascular lesions in the ileum was identified. The intensity and distribution of the immunoperoxidase stain in the ileum was graded as highly positive (18.7%), moderately positive (56.3%), and mildly positive (25%). In conclusion, the pattern and density of distribution and localization of BVDV antigen in the ileum was not consistently correlated with the severity of microscopic lesions.