Collaborative study to assess the suitability of a candidate International Standard for yellow fever vaccine

Yellow fever vaccines are routinely assayed by plaque assay. However, the results of these assays are then converted into mouse LD(50) using correlations/conversion factors which, in many cases, were established many years ago. The minimum required potency in WHO Recommendations is 10(3) LD(50)/dose. Thirteen participants from 8 countries participated in a collaborative study whose aim was to assess the suitability of two candidate preparations to serve as an International Standard for yellow fever vaccine. In addition, the study investigated the relationship between the mouse LD(50) test and plaque forming units with a view to updating the WHO recommendations. Plaque assays were more reproducible than mouse assays, as expected. Differences in sensitivities of plaque assays were observed between laboratories but these differences appear to be consistent within a laboratory for all samples and the expression of potency relative to the candidate standard vaccine improved the reproducibility of assays between laboratories. However, the use of potencies had little effect on the between laboratory variability in mouse LD(50) assays. There appears to be a consistent relationship between overall mean LD(50) and plaques titre for all study preparations other than sample E. The slope of the correlation curve is >1 and it would appear that 10(3) LD(50) is approximately equivalent to 10(4) plaque forming units (PFU), based on the overall means of all laboratory results. The First International Standard for yellow fever vaccine, NIBSC Code 99/616, has been established as the First International Standard for yellow fever vaccine by the Expert Committee of Biological Standards of the World Health Organisation. The International Standard has been arbitrarily assigned a potency of 10(4.5) International Units (IU) per ampoule. Manufacturers and National Control Laboratories are including the First International Standard for yellow fever vaccine in routine assays so that the minimum potency in IU of vaccines released for use and which meet the current minimum potency of 10(3) LD(50) in mouse assays, can be determined. These data will be analysed before a review of the WHO requirements, including the minimum potency per dose, is undertaken.     

A C群脑脊髓膜炎球菌多糖菌苗生产工艺与内毒素含量研究

A群及C群流脑多糖抗原用 10 0 0 0 0×g离心或不经超速离心处理 ,经用鲎试验法测定内毒素含量 ,2种工艺生产的A群及C群流脑多糖抗原的内毒素含量均很低。用未经超速离心处理的A群及C群流脑多糖抗原制成的A C群流脑多糖菌苗 ,经鲎试验法测定 ,内毒素含量也很低 ;经家兔升温法进行热原质试验 ,家兔体温未明显升高。证明A C群流脑多糖菌苗生产工艺不经 10 0 0 0 0×g离心去除内毒素步骤是可行的。所制备的流脑多糖抗原内毒素含量符合要求。     

Evaluation of the saccharide content and stability of the first WHO International Standard for Haemophilus influenzae b capsular polysaccharide

Haemophilus influenzae b conjugate vaccines (Hib) are almost entirely evaluated by physico-chemical methods to ensure the consistency of manufacture of batches. As different assays are employed for the quantification of Hib capsular polysaccharide PRP (polyribosyl ribitol phosphate; 5-D-ribitol-(1-->1)-beta-D-ribose-3-phosphate) in final formulations and bulk components, there was deemed a need for an International Standard of Hib PRP polysaccharide to be made available. Ten laboratories from 8 different countries participated in a collaborative study to determine the PRP content and assess the suitability of a candidate International Standard PRP preparation (02/208). The results illustrate that a reduction in between-laboratory variability could be achieved by use of a common reference preparation and data analysis showed no significant differences in the values obtained by the different assays: ribose, phosphorus, and high performance anion exchange chromatography-pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD), suggesting the suitability of the proposed reference for use across these assays for quantification of PRP content in Hib vaccines. On the basis of the results of this study, the First International Standard for PRP, NIBSC Code 02/208, has been established by the Expert Committee of Biological Standards of the World Health Organisation, with a content of 4.933+/-0.267mg/ampoule, as determined by the ribose assays carried out by 7 of the participating laboratories.     

Evaluation of Fourth International Standard for Whole Cell Pertussis Vaccine

Whole cell pertussis vaccine is still widely used in many countries. An International Standard is needed for its potency control. The Third International Standard for Pertussis Vaccine was prepared about 40 years ago and its replacement was recommended by the Expert Committee for Biological Standardisation (ECBS) of the WHO. Material in ampoules coded 94/532 was prepared as a candidate replacement and has been evaluated in international collaborative studies which consisted of two parts. The first part, to assess the suitability of the candidate standard by comparing it with the Second International Standard for Pertussis Vaccine (IS2) involved 14 laboratories in 11 countries. The second part to compare the candidate standard with the Third International Standard for Pertussis Vaccine (IS3) involved 16 laboratories in 14 countries. Since 1995 various other studies have included the international standards and the results of these are also considered in assessing likely continuity of the IU for potency of whole cell pertussis vaccine. The preparation in ampoules coded 94/532 was adopted by the WHO ECBS in October 2006 as the 4th International Standard for whole cell pertussis vaccine and assigned an activity of 40 IU per ampoule on the basis of the studies reported here.     

A＋C群脑膜炎球菌多糖疫苗的制备及其接种人体后的血清学效果

在现行的A群脑膜料球菌多糖原液制造工艺的基础上,经部分改进后进行C群脑膜炎球菌多糖原液的生产。3批中试A＋C群脑膜炎球菌多糖疫苗经全面检定后,各项指标均符合WHO《生物制品规程》的要求。该疫苗在接种人体后,5－13岁儿童组,抗A群及抗C群脑膜炎球菌的血清杀菌抗体4倍增长率为96．59％和92．15％;≤2岁儿童组,抗A群及抗C群脑膜炎球菌的血清杀菌抗体4倍增长率为68．60％和69．77％。2组儿童接种后1个月的抗A群及抗C群膜炎球菌血清杀菌抗体几何平均滴度（GMT）与接种前均有显著性差异（P＜0．001）。     

The International Standard for Netilmicin

An International Standard for Netilmicin has been established on the basis of a collaborative assay. There were five participating laboratories in five countries. The activity of the contents of each ampoule of the International Standard for Netilmicin is defined as 4810 IU of netilmicin.     

Cystatin C: a candidate biomarker for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurologic disease characterized by progressive motor neuron degeneration. Clinical disease management is hindered by both a lengthy diagnostic process and the absence of effective treatments. Reliable panels of diagnostic, surrogate, and prognostic biomarkers are needed to accelerate disease diagnosis and expedite drug development. The cysteine protease inhibitor cystatin C has recently gained interest as a candidate diagnostic biomarker for ALS, but further studies are required to fully characterize its biomarker utility. We used quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to assess initial and longitudinal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma cystatin C levels in 104 ALS patients and controls. Cystatin C levels in ALS patients were significantly elevated in plasma and reduced in CSF compared to healthy controls, but did not differ significantly from neurologic disease controls. In addition, the direction of longitudinal change in CSF cystatin C levels correlated to the rate of ALS disease progression, and initial CSF cystatin C levels were predictive of patient survival, suggesting that cystatin C may function as a surrogate marker of disease progression and survival. These data verify prior results for reduced cystatin C levels in the CSF of ALS patients, identify increased cystatin C levels in the plasma of ALS patients, and reveal correlations between CSF cystatin C levels to both ALS disease progression and patient survival.     

免疫沉淀法用于A群流脑多糖菌苗的鉴别试验

本文将免疫沉淀法——免疫双扩散及对流免疫电泳法用于Ａ群流脑多糖菌苗的鉴别试验。并对其检测Ａ群流脑多糖菌苗的特异性及敏感性与传统采用的间接血凝抑制试验法进行了比较。试验结果表明,免疫沉淀法准确、特异性好、操作简便、经济。完全符合ＷＨＯ规程及中国规程中对《Ａ群脑膜炎球菌多糖菌苗制造及检定规程》鉴别试验的要求。因此可望替代现行的间接血凝抑制试验,以作为今后Ａ群流脑多糖菌苗鉴别试验的常规测定法     

肺炎链球菌C多糖含量检测方法的建立

目的使用肺炎链球菌C多糖单克隆抗体(单抗),建立检测荚膜多糖中残留的C多糖含量的方法。方法选择BALB/c雌性小鼠,采用体内诱生单抗腹水,放大生产肺炎链球菌C多糖单抗;使用间接ELISA、抑制性ELISA对其进行特异性鉴定;用特异性和亲和力高的单抗尝试建立肺炎链球菌荚膜多糖中C多糖含量检测的速率比浊法,并对该方法的线性、精密度、特异性进行验证。结果所制4株单抗的抗体类别均为IgM,识别的抗原表位互不相同,亲和力也不同。间接ELISA、抑制性ELISA结果均显示,所获得的单抗能够作用于肺炎链球菌C多糖上的磷酸胆碱位点,具有很好的特异性。选择单抗E8建立速率比浊检测方法的线性、精密度和特异性均良好,检测结果表明肺炎链球菌23个血清型荚膜多糖中C多糖含量不同。结论利用单抗建立了检测肺炎链球菌荚膜多糖中残留的C多糖的含量的速率比浊法。     

Collaborative study for the calibration of a replacement International Standard for Tetanus Toxoid Adsorbed

We present the results of a collaborative study for the establishment of a replacement International Standard (IS) for Tetanus Toxoid Adsorbed. Two candidate preparations were included in the study, one of which was established as the 4th IS for Tetanus Toxoid Adsorbed at the WHO Expert Committee on Biological Standardization meeting in October 2010. This preparation was found to have a unitage of 490 IU/ampoule, based on calibration in guinea pig challenge assays. Results from mouse challenge assays suggest that the relative performance of two candidate preparations may differ significantly between guinea pigs and mice. The authors note that the number of laboratories that performed guinea pig challenge assays, which are used to calibrate and assign IU, is much lower than in previous collaborative studies and this may have implications for calibration of replacement standards in the future. The issue of assigning separate units to the IS for guinea pig and mouse assays is discussed. The study also assessed performance of the replacement standard in serological assays which are used as alternative procedures to challenge assays for tetanus potency testing. Results suggest that the replacement standard is suitable for use as the reference vaccine in serological assays.     

A群C群脑膜炎球菌多糖疫苗及b型流感嗜血杆菌结合疫苗中丙酮残留量检测方法的建立与验证

目的建立A群C群脑膜炎球菌多糖疫苗和b型流感嗜血杆菌结合疫苗中丙酮残留量的检测方法并加以验证。方法参照《中华人民共和国药典》三部(2010年版)中"毛细管柱顶空进样等温法",优化色谱条件,建立A群C群脑膜炎球菌多糖疫苗和b型流感嗜血杆菌结合疫苗中丙酮残留量的检测方法并对该方法进行验证及初步应用。结果色谱条件为顶空平衡温度70℃,顶空平衡时间40 min,汽化室温度200℃,柱箱温度40℃,检测器温度250℃,进样量为1.0 m L,载气(高纯氮气)流量1.3 m L/min,尾吹气(高纯氮气)流量5 m L/min,分流比1∶1。丙酮质量分数在2×10-6~5×10-5范围内具有良好的线性关系(r0.99)。丙酮的平均回收率及相对标准偏差(RSD)分别为86.05%~105.11%及2.1%~9.5%,检测限为2×10-6,定量限为3×10-6。结论本方法的线性、特异性、准确性、重复性等均符合规定,方法准确、稳定,可用于A群C群脑膜炎球菌多糖疫苗和b型流感嗜血杆菌结合疫苗中丙酮残留量的检测。     

The 1st International Standard for anti-measles serum

The 1st International Standard for anti-measles serum has been established on the basis of a collaborative study. There were four participating laboratories in four countries and three types of assay used. This standard has been assigned a potency of 5 IU anti-measles antibody per ampoule.     

Reactogenicity of a group A and C meningococcal polysaccharide bivalent vaccine

A total of 1 968 persons aged 18-20 years belonging to organized groups were immunized with different doses of polysaccharide meningococcal divaccine, groups A and C, by means of syringes and jet injectors under the conditions of a controlled epidemiological trial. Systemic reactions to the injection of the preparation were found to be absent. Local reactions manifested by inflammation, swelling and tenderness at the site of injection were faintly pronounced and disappeared in 48 hours, which is indicative of low reactogenicity of the preparation under study.     

Evaluation of tafazzin as candidate for dilated cardiomyopathy in Irish wolfhounds

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a common disease in humans and dogs. Large-breed dogs and especially Irish wolfhounds belong to the frequently affected breeds. Male Irish wolfhounds show a significantly higher prevalence of DCM than females. Therefore, we evaluated X chromosome markers for linkage with DCM as well as a human candidate gene on the X chromosome. A set of X chromosomal microsatellites was genotyped in Irish wolfhound families segregating for DCM. In addition, exon and intron sequences of the tafazzin (TAZ) gene were assayed for polymorphisms segregating in these families. Statistical analysis of the microsatellite markers did not reveal linkage to DCM. Furthermore, all Irish wolfhounds included in this study were monomorphic for TAZ, and only 8 sequence differences to the Dog Genome Assembly 2.1 could be found. The results indicate that due to the lack of mutations, TAZ is unlikely to cause DCM in Irish wolfhounds.     

Identification of a novel fumarase C from Streptomyces lividans TK54 as a good candidate for l-malate production

Fumarase is a key enzyme that catalyzes the reversible hydration of fumarate to l-malate in the tricarboxylic acid cycle. This reaction has been extensively utilized for industrial applications in producing l-malate. In this study, a fumarase C gene from Streptomyces lividans TK54 (slFumC) was cloned and expressed as a fused protein (SlFumC) in Escherichia coli. The molecular mass of SlFumC was about 49 kDa determined by SDS-PAGE. Kinetic studies showed that the K _m value of SlFumC for l-malate increased by approximately 8.5-fold at pH 6.5 (6.7 ± 0.81 mM) to 8.0 (57.0 ± 1.12 mM), which was higher than some known fumarases. The catalytic efficiency (k _cat) and the specific activity increased by about 9.5-fold at pH 6.5 (65 s^?1) to 8.0 (620 s^?1) and from 79 U/mg at pH 6.5 to 752 U/mg at pH 8.0, respectively. Therefore, SlFumC may acquire strong catalytic ability by increasing pH to partially compensate for the loss of substrate affinity. The enzyme also showed substrate inhibition phenomenon, which is pH-dependent. Specific activity of SlFumC was gradually enhanced with increasing phosphate concentrations. However, no inhibition was observed at high concentration of phosphate ion, which was distinctly different in case of other Class II fumarases. In industrial process, the reaction temperatures for l-malate production are usually set between 40 and 60 °C. The recombinant SlFumC displayed maximal activity at 45 °C and remained over 85 % of original activity after 48 h incubation at 40 °C, which was more thermostable than other fumarases from Streptomyces and make it an efficient enzyme for use in the industrial production of l-malate.     

Evaluation of candidate genes in case-control studies: a statistical method to account for related subjects

Traditional case-control studies provide a powerful and efficient method for evaluation of association between candidate genes and disease. The sampling of cases from multiplex pedigrees, rather than from a catchment area, can increase the likelihood that genetic cases are selected. However, use of all the related cases without accounting for their biological relationship can increase the type I error rate of the statistical test. To overcome this problem, we present an analysis method that is used to compare genotype frequencies between cases and controls, according to a trend in proportions as the dosage of the risk allele increases. This method uses the appropriate variance to account for the correlated family data, thus maintaining the correct type I error rate. The magnitude of the association is estimated by the odds ratio, with the variance of the odds ratio also accounting for the correlated data. Our method makes efficient use of data collected from multiplex families and should prove useful for the analysis of candidate genes among families sampled for linkage studies. An application of our method, to family data from a prostate cancer study, is presented to illustrate the method's utility.