Evaluation on blood coagulation and C-reactive protein level among children with mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia by different chest imaging findings.

ABSTRACT: Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection may induce a systemic hypercoagulable abnormality, like organ embolism and infarction. Indexes of blood coagulation and C-reactive protein (CRP) have been reported different between healthy people and mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) patients, but this difference in MPP patients with different chest imaging findings has rarely been reported.We performed a retrospective study of 101 children with MPP and 119 controls, combined with radiological examination and blood tests, to compare the blood coagulation and CRP level among MPP children with different chest imaging findings.For the MPP children with different chest imaging findings, there were significant differences in CRP, fibrinogen (FIB) and D-dimer (D-D) levels among subgroups (P = .004, P = .008 and P < .001 respectively). The CRP level in group of interstitial pneumonia was significantly higher than that in groups of bronchopneumonia and hilar shadow thickening (P = .003 and P = .001 respectively). And the FIB and D-D values in group of lung consolidation were significantly higher than that in the other 3 groups (all P < .05). When compared with controls, the white blood cell, CRP, FIB, and D-D levels in MPP children were significantly higher, and the activated partial thromboplastin time and thrombin time levels were significantly lower (all P < .05).Our results showed that CRP level changed most significantly in group of interstitial pneumonia, whereas FIB, D-D levels changed most significantly in the lung consolidation group.

Serum miR-17, IL-4, and IL-6 levels for diagnosis of endometriosis.

Clinical studies have exhibited microRNAs or cytokines could be used as new biomarkers in the diagnosis of endometriosis, respectively. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of serum miR-17, IL-4, and IL-6 as early diagnostic markers of endometriosis. One hundred forty patients aged 22 to 45 years were recruited, 80 patients with pathologically confirmed endometriosis were assigned to endometriosis group whereas the remaining 60 patients were in the control group. The blood samples were collected immediately before laparoscopy and analyzed using real-time quantitative PCR analysis. In patients with endometriosis, the level of miR-23b decreased significantly, the levels of IL-4 and IL-6 increased remarkably compared with that in patients without endometriosis. Correlation analysis revealed miR-17 levels were negatively correlated with IL-4 (r = -0.974, P < .05) and IL-6 (r = -0.944, P < .05). The ROC curve manifested joint of miR-17 and selected cytokines could improve the diagnostic power with an AUC of 0.84 (95% CI: 0.75-0.96). In short, the present study characterizes the role of miR-17, IL-4, and IL-6 in the pathogenesis of endometriosis, suggesting the feasibility of using miR-17 and selected cytokines as a noninvasive diagnostic test for the detection of endometriosis.

[Identification of the interactions between JTV1 and NLS-RAR alpha in vivo and in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To identify the interactions between JTV1 and NLS-RAR alpha by Yeast two-hybrid and co-immunoprecipitation. METHODS: The plasmids of bait-protein and JTV1 protein were cotransformed into yeast AH109 to investigate their interactions in vivo. Tagged fusion protein eukaryotic expression vectors were constructed and then cotransfected into human embryo kidney 293 cells. Co-immunoprecipitation was used to investigate the interactions between NLS-RAR alpha and JTV1 in vitro. RESULTS: Blue clones were found in QDO/X-alpha-gal plates. Eukaryotic expression vectors were co-transfected into HEK 293 cells. The HA-NLS-RAR alpha protein was immunoprecipitated by anti-HA polyclonal antibody. Myc-JTV1 protein was detected by western blotting with anti-Myc monoclonal antibody from the immunoprecipitared complex. CONCLUSION: The interactions between NLS-RAR alpha and JTV1 are identified by Yeast two-hybrid and co-immunoprecipitation.

[Screening of target proteins interacting with dexamethasone derivates in vivo].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The anti-tumor activity of dexamethasone derivatives (9-fluoro-16alpha-methyl-11,17-dihydroxy-3-oxo-1,4-androsladiene-17beta-carboxylic acid) is superior to that of dexamethasone. This study was to screen the proteins interacting with dexamethasone derivates, thus to explore the anti-tumor mechanism of dexamethasone derivates in vivo. METHODS: The bait plasmid pGBKT7-GRalpha-LBD was constructed. Screening of the target proteins interacting with dexamethasone derivatives was performed by yeast three-hybrid technique using human K562 cell cDNA library. RESULTS: The bait plasmid was successfully constructed. It produced a 31 ku bait protein with no toxicity, leakage and self-activation. Thirty-seven positive clones which interacted with dexamethasone derivatives were obtained from human K562 cell cDNA library, 20 of which were identified by re-transforming into yeast AH109 cells. CONCLUSION: Twenty positive clones interacting with dexamethasone derivates are identified in vivo.

[Screening and identification of proteins interacting with RAR alpha-V via yeast two-hybrid system].

OBJECTIVE: To screen the protein interacting with retinoic acid receptor variant protein (RAR alpha-V) via the yeast two-hybrid technique (YTHT) and to find out the targets protein and study its biological function. METHODS: The bait vector of pGBKT7-RAR alpha-V was constructed for screening proteins interacting with RAR alpha-V in K562 cell cDNA expression library via YTHT. The protein-protein interaction was confirmed with re-transformation in yeast and GST pull-down in vitro. RESULTS: The bait vector was successfully constructed without toxicity, leakage and self-activation. Sixteen proteins were screened by YTHT and eight positive clones were identified by re-transformation in yeast. The interaction between RAR alpha-V and JTV-1 was confirmed by GST pull-down in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: There are some kinds of proteins interacting with RAR alpha-V in cell. The biological dysfunction caused by certain protein-protein interaction may be involved in the pathogenesis of leukemia.