Blood purification in two patients with clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis associated with interstitial lung disease with anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene-5 antibody (MDA-5).

Patients of clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis associated with rapidly progressive interstitial pneumonia (CADM-RFIP) with positive anti-MDA5 antibody usually presents rapid deterioration and traditional therapy such as cyclophosphamide combined with high-dose prednisone pulse therapy shows no clear benefit at whiles. However, blood purification combined with traditional therapy works according to the literature. We herein report two CADM-RFIP patients administered with DNA immunoadsorption combined with traditional therapy and then reviewed the literature of blood purification in CADM-RFIP patients at home and abroad to date. We emphasize blood purification such as DNA immunoadsorption could apply in the early stage of CADM-RFIP, which can decrease inflammation and allow us more time to control the condition better.

Nonspecific interstitial pneumonia overlaps organizing pneumonia in lung-dominant connective tissue disease.

Here, we reported two cases of nonspecific interstitial pneumonia overlap organizing pneumonia (NSIP/OP) with lung-dominant connective tissue disease (LD-ILD). The first case is a patient with hands of chapped skin, right-sided pleuritic chest discomfort, weakness, positive ANA and antibodies to Ro/SS-A (+++) and Ro-52 (++). In the second case, there were Reynaud's disease, and nucleolus-ANA increased (1:800). Chest high resolution CT scan in both cases showed ground-glass opacifications, predominantly in basal and subpleural region and the pathologic manifestation were correlated with NSIP/OP, which were previously discovered in Sjogren syndrome, PM/DM and other rheumatic diseases. The two cases of NSIP/OP with LD-CTD we reported expand disease spectrum of NSIP/OP pathological types in ILD. However, it is necessary to process large-scale studies.

[Screening of potential proteins from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis by using of surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrum].

OBJECTIVE: To screen potential proteins in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum samples obtained from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), for the purpose of discovering candidate biomarkers. METHODS: BALF and serum samples from 34 patients diagnosed IPF (IPF group) and 25 non-smoker healthy controls (control group) were collected. Surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS) was used to obtain protein fingerprints from BALF and serum samples. Biomarker Wizard and Biomarker Pattern were introduced in bioinformatics analysis. RESULTS: A total of 247 protein peaks were detected in BALF, and 13 peaks with statistical difference compared with control group. Among 13 detected protein peaks, 7 with mass/charge ratio (M/Z) values of 2240.57, 3459.32, 3501.78, 4146.50, 4516.51, 4615.88, 5651.26 were statistically up-regulated (all P < 0.01); and 6 peaks with M/Z values of 4989.91, 5043.68, 6968.76, 11 687.70, 11 782.10, 14 733.30 were significantly down-regulated (all P < 0.01). In addition, 142 protein peaks were differentially expressed in serum samples, and 9 peaks with statistical differences. Among them, 9 peaks with M/Z values of 3382.59, 3453.39, 4608.28, 5825.48, 8936.76, 9164.27, 11 525.30, 11 689.40 and 11 886.00 were significantly up-regulated (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), compared with control group. CONCLUSIONS: The present work demonstrated that SELDI-TOF-MS technology be capable of detecting differentially expressed protein peaks in BALF and serum samples from IPF patients. Further investigations were guaranteed to elucidate their potential diagnostic value in clinical practice.

[Vaccination with three HIV-1 cross neutralizing epitopes fused to HBV S antigen could induce robust antibody immune response in mice].

To enhance immunogenicity of HIV-1 cross neutralizing epitopes , three HIV-1 cross neutralizing epitopes (ELDKWA, NWFDIT, GPGRAFY) were fused to 3' end of HBV S gene by PCR cloning technology, respectively. Three vaccinia virus (Tiantan strain) recombinants expressing separately the three fusion genes were subsequently constructed, named as RVJ1175S-2F5 (ELDKWA), RVJ1175S-4E10 (NWFDIT) and RVJ1175S-447-52D (GPGRAFY), respectively. From the supernatants of CEF cells infected by these vaccinia recombinants, three subunit vaccines (PS-2F5, PS-4E10 and PS-447-52D) were prepared after purification. Biology and immunology characteristics of these fusion antigens in vaccinia recombinants and subunit vaccines were comparatively studied. It was confirmed by PCR and sequencing that the fusion genes were inserted into the TK locus of vaccinia virus (Tiantan strain) correctly. The Fusion proteins were expressed efficiently and secreted into supernatant of the infected cells, which was demonstrated by HBsAg ELISA test. Two typical HBsAg bands of 23kD and 27kD were detected in all the purified samples by SDS-PAGE. These two bands were reacted well to HBsAb and corresponding HIV-1 monoclonal antibodies 2F5, 4E10 and 447-52D. BALB/c mice were immunized with subunit and vaccinia recombinant vaccines by intraperitoneal injection. High levels of HBsAb and anti-HIV-1 cross neutralizing epitope antibody in peripheral blood of immunized mice were tested by ELISA, and all the antibody titers induced by three subunit vaccines were higher than that induced by correlated vaccinia recombinants in mice. This work provides a basis for future study on neutralizing activity of these immunized sera and enhancing immune effect through the combined immunization with different type of vaccines.