The clinical pattern differentiates ANCA-positive infective endocarditis patients from ANCA-associated vasculitis patients: a 23 years’ retrospective cohort study in China and follow-ups

Clinical Rheumatology - Patients with infective endocarditis (IE) may present rheumatic manifestations concurrent with various autoantibodies and thus mimic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody...     

Sevoflurane inhibits the malignant phenotypes of glioma through regulating miR-146b-5p/NFIB axis

Metabolic Brain Disease - Sevoflurane is a common used inhaled anesthetic that was reported to regulate the progression of multiple cancers. Here, we aimed to investigate the function and...     

Genetic diversity of VP3 of goose parvovirus isolated from Southeastern China during 2012–2013

Although vaccine and passive immunotherapy were widely used to prevent goose parvovirus (GPV) infection in goose industry, GPV still poses a big problem in Southeastern China. In this study, 23 GPV isolates were isolated from goslings suspected with GPV infection in Southeastern China during 2012–2013, and the genetic diversity of VP3 of GPV was analyzed. Phylogenetic tree revealed that these isolates could be clustered into two groups, and 11 of 23 could be further clustered into a new subgroup. Moreover, eight novel mutations and seventeen conserved amino acids were found in these 23 isolates in comparison with isolates previously deposited in GenBank. These isolates and findings not only provide insights into the etiology and molecular characteristics of GPV endemic in Southeastern China, but also enrich the GPV genetic information for better controlling the disease.     

双相障碍青少年的健康相关危险行为

目的:了解双相障碍青少年的健康相关危险行为特点。方法:纳入符合疾病和有关健康问题的国际统计分类第十次修订本(ICD-10)双相障碍标准的12~18岁青少年50例(抑郁状态29人,躁狂状态19人,混合状态2人)及性别、年龄相匹配的正常对照100例,完成青少年健康相关危险行为自评问卷(AHRBI),同时由双相障碍患者父母完成青少年健康相关危险行为问卷父母版(AHRBI-P),评估双相障碍青少年在不同疾病状态下的健康相关危险行为。结果:双相障碍组青少年AHRBI总分与攻击与暴力、健康妥协、破坏纪律、无保护性、自杀自伤及吸烟饮酒等6项因子评分均高于正常对照组[如总分,55.5(38,119)vs.46(38,65);P0.05]。其中,26项行为条目双相障碍组评分均高于正常对照组(均P0.05)。双相障碍组AHRBI和AHRBI-P总分及6项因子分之间的差异无统计学意义(均P0.05)。偏相关分析显示(变量赋值抑郁发作=0,躁狂发作=1),AHRBI和AHRBI-P自杀自伤因子得分与发作状态呈负相关(r=-0.32、-0.33;均P0.05),AHRBI攻击与暴力维度下的毁坏财物行为得分与发作状态呈正相关(r=0.32,P0.05)。结论:双相障碍青少年总体健康相关危险行为多于正常对照青少年,并且,患者在6个维度均存在明显增多的健康相关危险行为。评估期间抑郁发作患者自杀风险更高,而躁狂发作患者更易出现毁坏财物行为。     

高职生久坐行为测量及其与抑郁水平关系

目的:高职生过长的久坐行为如电脑前看视频、玩游戏、坐着玩手机等已经成为高校学生工作不可忽视的课题。较可靠的测量工具是评估久坐行为水平及其对健康的危害的前提。方法:本研究主要采用开放式问卷测量、结构式问卷调查以及数据处理与分析等方法,初步考察了某一高职院校学生久坐行为自编问卷的信效度及其与抑郁及各因子的关联性。结果:开放式调查、久坐行为自编问卷与国际体力活动问卷久坐行为条目所测的平均时间分别为412.58分钟/天、549.92分钟/天和466.99分钟/天;同时,久坐行为与抑郁量表人际因子的简单相关系数有统计学意义(r=0.306,P0.05)。结论:高职生久坐行为自编问卷具有较好的可靠性,他们的久坐行为时间普遍过长并且提示久坐行为与抑郁水平存在一定的关联。     

Dysfunctional CD4+,CD25+ regulatory T cells in untreated active systemic lupus erythematosus secondary to interferon-alpha-producing antigen-presenting cells

OBJECTIVE: To explore whether there are extrinsic factors that impair the suppressive function of CD4+,CD25+ regulatory T cells in patients with untreated active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: We studied 15 patients with untreated active SLE, 10 patients with SLE in remission, and 15 healthy control subjects. Percentages of CD4+,CD25+,FoxP3+ Treg cells and levels of forkhead box P3 (FoxP3) protein were analyzed by flow cytometry. Expression of messenger RNA (mRNA) for FoxP3 in purified Treg cell populations was assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. Experiments examining Treg cell function in SLE were designed to distinguish primary from secondary T cell dysfunction. Levels of interferon-alpha (IFNalpha) in supernatants from the function assays were determined with an IFN-stimulated response element-luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS: The percentage of CD4+,CD25+, FoxP3+ cells in peripheral blood was significantly increased in SLE patients as compared with controls (mean +/- SEM 9.11 +/- 0.73% versus 4.78 +/- 0.43%; P < 0.0001). We found no difference in FoxP3 expression at either the mRNA or protein level in any CD4+,CD25+ T cell subset from SLE patients as compared with controls. Antigen-presenting cells (APCs) from SLE patients were responsible for decreased Treg cell activity and could also render dysfunctional Treg cells from healthy control subjects. CD4+,CD25+ Treg cells from SLE patients exhibited normal suppressive activity when cultured with APCs from healthy controls. A partial Treg cell blockade effect was induced by the high levels of IFNalpha derived from SLE patient APCs. CONCLUSION: We suggest that blockade of Treg cell-mediated suppression by IFNalpha-producing APCs in SLE patients may contribute to a pathogenic loss of peripheral tolerance in this disease.     

Characterization of a dopamine receptor (DA2K) in the kidney inner medulla.

Dopamine (DA) produces a natriuretic/diuretic response in the kidney by mechanisms that are still not well understood. There is some indication that DA2 receptors may be involved in mediating the effects of DA, but little is known regarding the nature of this receptor in the kidney. Autoradiographic localization of [3H]spiperone, a DA2 antagonist, indicated that high-density binding was restricted to inner medullary collecting ducts (IMCDs). [3H]Spiperone binding was saturable, high affinity (Kd, 17.2 +/- 1.65 nM), and high density (Bmax, 935 +/- 83 fmol per mg of protein). The photosensitive spiperone analogue N-(p-azido-m-[125I]iodophenethyl)spiperone labeled similar sized proteins of Mr = 120,000 in membranes prepared from the kidney inner medulla, striatum, and pituitary. However, the rank-order competition profile for the [3H]spiperone binding in the kidney inner medulla differed from the DA2 receptor in striatum and pituitary and, furthermore, RNA (Northern) blot analyses of kidney inner medullary RNA with brain DA2 receptor oligonucleotide probes were negative. Functionally, DA stimulated prostaglandin E2 production by IMCD cells, an effect that could be blocked by the DA2 antagonist domperidone. These results indicate that the kidney inner medulla expresses a functional DA receptor that may represent a newly identified DA receptor subtype (here designated DA2K). Moreover, these results suggest that the kidney inner medulla may be a significant site at which DA, either directly or indirectly, influences water and electrolyte excretion.     

On the role of peptide hydrolysis for fibrillation kinetics and amyloid fibril morphology

Self-assembly of proteins into amyloid-like nanofibrils is not only a key event in several diseases, but such fibrils are also associated with intriguing biological function and constitute promising components for new biobased materials. The bovine whey protein β-lactoglobulin has emerged as an important model protein for the development of such materials. We here report that peptide hydrolysis is the rate-determining step for fibrillation of β-lactoglobulin in whey protein isolate. We also explore the observation that β-lactoglobulin nanofibrils of distinct morphologies are obtained by simply changing the initial protein concentration. We find that the morphological switch is related to different nucleation mechanisms and that the two classes of nanofibrils are associated with variations of the peptide building blocks. Based on the results, we propose that the balance between protein concentration and the hydrolysis rate determines the structure of the formed nanofibrils.

Peptide hydrolysis determines the fibrillation rate and the morphology of amyloid-like nanofibrils formed by β-lactoglobulin at low pH.