A Recombinant HAV Expressing a Neutralization Epitope of HEV Induces Immune Response against HAV and HEV in Mice.

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) are causative agents of acute viral hepatitis transmitted via the fecal-oral route. Both viruses place a heavy burden on the public health and economy of developing countries. To test the possibility that HAV could be used as an expression vector for the development of a combination vaccine against hepatitis A and E infections, recombinant HAV-HEp148 was created as a vector to express an HEV neutralization epitope (HEp148) located at aa 459-606 of the HEV capsid protein. The recombinant virus expressed the HEp148 protein in a partially dimerized state in HAV-susceptible cells. Immunization with the HAV-HEp148 virus induced a strong HAV- and HEV-specific immune response in mice. Thus, the present study demonstrates a novel approach to the development of a combined hepatitis A and E vaccine.

Comparison of Effects of Different Doses Dexmedetomidine on Inhibiting Tracheal Intubation-Evoked Haemodynamic Response in the Elderly Patients.

BACKGROUND: Dexmedetomidine (DEX) is a selective α2-adrenergic receptor agonist with anxiolytic and analgesic properties. In the present study, we aimed primarily to assess the effects of DEX on sedation, cognitive function and cardiovascular reflex responses before, during and after the tracheal intubation in the elderly patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery were randomly assigned to four Groups: Group A(saline, n=20), Group B (0.25µg/kg DEX, n=20), Group C (0.50µg/kg DEX, n=20) and Group D (1.00µg/kg DEX, n=20). With the constant speed infusion of saline and a loading different doses of DEX (diluted with saline to 50ml) for 10min respectively before induction of anaesthesia, the values of arterial pressure {systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP)}, heart rate (HR) and bispectral index (BIS) at the time point of before pump DEX (T0), at the end of infusing DEX (T1), before tracheal intubation (T2), at the moment of tracheal intubation (T3) and 5min after trachea intubation (T4) were observed, oxygen saturation (SPO2) and the Modified Observers Assessment of Alertness/Sedation Scale (OAA/S) score were observed at the time of T1 and T0. RESULTS: Comparison among Groups, compared with Group A, SBP and DBP values in Group C at T2 showed significant differences (p<0.05), SBP and DBP values in Group D at T1, T2 and T4 indicated significant differences (p<0.05), HR values in Group D at T1, T2, T3 and T4 showed significant differences (p<0.05); Compared with Group A, BIS values in Group C at T2 and T3 indicated significant differences (p<0.05), BIS values in Group D at T1, T2, T3 and T4 showed significant differences (p<0.05); Comparison between T3 andT2, means of SBP, DBP and HR in Group A and in Group B showed significant differences (p<0.05); Group D showed significant differences in SPO2 and (OAA/S) betweenT1 and T0 (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Comparison within Groups and between Groups in different doses DEX, the present result showed that 0.5µg/kg DEX had an effective inhibition, without respiratory depression, on tracheal intubation evoked cardiovascular response in the elderly patients.

Progress on adenovirus-vectored universal influenza vaccines.

Influenza virus (IFV) infection causes serious health problems and heavy financial burdens each year worldwide. The classical inactivated influenza virus vaccine (IIVV) and live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) must be updated regularly to match the new strains that evolve due to antigenic drift and antigenic shift. However, with the discovery of broadly neutralizing antibodies that recognize conserved antigens, and the CD8(+) T cell responses targeting viral internal proteins nucleoprotein (NP), matrix protein 1 (M1) and polymerase basic 1 (PB1), it is possible to develop a universal influenza vaccine based on the conserved hemagglutinin (HA) stem, NP, and matrix proteins. Recombinant adenovirus (rAd) is an ideal influenza vaccine vector because it has an ideal stability and safety profile, induces balanced humoral and cell-mediated immune responses due to activation of innate immunity, provides 'self-adjuvanting' activity, can mimic natural IFV infection, and confers seamless protection against mucosal pathogens. Moreover, this vector can be developed as a low-cost, rapid-response vaccine that can be quickly manufactured. Therefore, an adenovirus vector encoding conserved influenza antigens holds promise in the development of a universal influenza vaccine. This review will summarize the progress in adenovirus-vectored universal flu vaccines and discuss future novel approaches.

CagA+ H. pylori filtrate induces cytokine IL-8 secretion by esophageal squamous carcinoma EC 109 cells via a p38 pathway.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection and the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is unclear. AIM: The purpose was to investigate the effects of CagA+ Hp on esophageal squamous carcinoma Ec 109 cells in vitro and explore the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ec 109 cells were treated with CagA+ Hp filtrate at a concentration of 1.0 mg/mL or 50 µg/mL in vitro, proliferation and apoptosis of Ec 109 cells were assayed, the secretion of IL-8 was measured by ELISA, and the levels of Src homology-2 domain-containing phosphatase (SHP-2) mRNAs was assayed by RT-PCR.. Furthermore, after pretreatment of Ec109 cells with the specific p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor SB203580, the p38 pathway was detected. RESULTS: CagA+ Hp filtrate enhanced both the proliferation and apoptosis of Ec 109 cells. In addition, cytokine IL-8 release was significantly increased, and the expression of SHP-2 mRNA declined sharply in the CagA+ Hp group. Furthermore, after pretreatment of Ec109 cells with the specific p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580, Ec109 cells proliferation and IL-8 secretion were inhibited. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that CagA+ Hp filtrates could induce proliferation and the secretion of IL-8 by Ec109 cells in vitro. IL-8 secretion was induced through the activation of the p38 MAPK signal pathway.