A novel HLA allele, HLA-DQB1*02:57, was identified by polymerase chain reaction sequence-based typing in a Chinese individual.

HLA-DQB1*02:57 has one base substitution at position 260 T>C in exon 2 from HLA-DQB1*02:01:01.

HLA-C*06:103, a novel allele was identified in a Chinese patient awaiting hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

HLA-C*06:103 shows four nucleotides difference from that of HLA-C*06:02:01:01.

A novel allele, HLA-DRB1*10:07 was identified in a Chinese individual.

HLA-DRB1*10:07 shows one nucleotide different from HLA-DRB1*10:01:01 at position 328 in exon 2.

Identification of a novel HLA-A*02:06:14 allele by polymerase chain reaction sequence-based typing in a Chinese bone marrow donor.

HLA*02:06:14 differs from HLA-A*02:06:01 by a single nucleotide substitution G > A at position 246.

Two novel alleles, HLA-B*46:01:11 and HLA-B*51:01:39 were identified in Chinese bone marrow donors.

HLA-B*46:01:11 has 219 G>A compared with HLA-B*46:01:01, and HLA-B*51:01:39 shows 561 G>A with HLA-B*51:01:01.

A novel HLA-A*32 allele, A*32:67 was identified by polymerase chain reaction sequence-based typing in a Chinese individual.

HLA-A*32:67 has a single nucleotide difference at position 286 C>A compared with HLA-A*32:01:01.

Two novel alleles, HLA-A*02:07:06 and HLA-A*02:426, were identified in Chinese individuals.

HLA-A*02:07:06 shows 285 A>C and HLA-A*02:426 has 763 G>A change compared with HLA-A*02:07:01.

Identification a novel HLA-B*27:105 allele in a Chinese bone marrow donor by polymerase chain reaction sequence-based typing.

HLA-B*27:105 has one nucleotide change from HLA-B*27:04:01 at nucleotide position 404 from G to A.

Two novel HLA-DQB1*03:03 alleles, HLA-DQB1*03:03:08 and DQB1*03:03:13, were identified in Chinese individuals.

Compared with HLA-DQB1*03:03:02:01, HLA-DQB1*03:03:08 and DQB1*03:03:13 have 330 G>C and 349 T>C changes, respectively.

Efficacy of Artemisia annua polysaccharides as an adjuvant to hepatitis C vaccination.

The traditional Chinese medicine Artemisia annua can prevent and treat hepatitis following an unclear mechanism. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of A. annua polysaccharides (AAP) on hepatitis C virus (HCV). A pcDNA3.1/NS3 expression vector was constructed. Ninety female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into six groups: high-dose AAP (1 mg/mL) + HCV/NS3 plasmid; middle-dose AAP (0.5 mg/mL) + HCV/NS3 plasmid; low-dose AAP (0.1 mg/mL) + HCV/NS3 plasmid; HCV/NS3 plasmid; high-dose AAP (1 mg/mL); normal saline control (N = 15). Except the control group and the high-dose AAP group, other groups were inoculated with 50 µg pcDNA3.1-HCV/NS3 plasmid. Serum antigenic-specific antibody was detected after the last immunization, and the levels of secreted IFN-γ and IL-4 were measured. pcDNA3.1/NS3 plasmid was successfully constructed, and the extracted product contained HCV/NS3 sequence. Compared with single inoculation with HCV/NS3 DNA vaccine, the specific antibody levels induced by middle-dose AAP plus HCV/NS3 DNA vaccine were significantly different in weeks 1, 3 and 5 (P < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in the antibody levels induced by high-dose and low-dose AAP as adjuvant compared with those of single inoculation with DNA vaccine (P > 0.05). The level of serum IFN-γ secretion was significantly higher than that of IL-4 secretion. Compared with the single HCV/NS3 DNA vaccine group, AAP plus HCV/NS3 DNA vaccine groups had significant increased IFN-γ levels (P < 0.05), but the IL-4 levels were not significantly different among these groups (P > 0.05). AAP, as the adjuvant of HCV/NS3 DNA vaccine, can widely regulate the humoral immunity and cellular immune function of normal and cyclophosphamide-induced immunocompromised mice. AAP can promote IFN-γ secretion probably by inducing Th1-type cellular immune response.

Hypolipidemic effect of safflower yellow and primary mechanism analysis.

We examined the hypolipidemic effect of safflower yellow (SY) on hyperlipidemic mice and its influence on the biological synthesis of cholesterol in cells. Over 4 weeks, the levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in serum were detected using a kit; mouse liver samples were acquired for paraffin sections, and mouse liver cells were observed under light microscope. Chinese hamster ovary cells were cultured in vitro, and an amphotericin B-cell model was adopted to observe the inhibitory effect of SY on the biological synthesis of intracellular cholesterol. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the survival rate of Chinese hamster ovary cells. The middle and high doses of SY significantly reduced the levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the serum of hyperlipidemic mice and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (P < 0.05), and the fatty liver of hyperlipidemic mice was significantly alleviated. SY had a protective effect on Chinese hamster ovary cells following amphotericin B injury (P < 0.01). SY exerts significant hypolipidemic effects and prevents fatty liver in a mechanism associated with inhibition of the biosynthesis of intracellular cholesterol.

Correlation between the decrease of cholesterol efflux from macrophages in patients with type II diabetes mellitus and down-regulated CYP7A1 expression.

The purpose of this study was to examine the changes of cellular cholesterol efflux from macrophages in patients with type II diabetes mellitus (DM), and to determine the expression of CYP7A1, ABCG5, and LXRß therein. We recruited 30 patients with type II DM (including 15 patients complicated with coronary heart disease and 15 patients with DM only) and 15 normal controls for this study. Peripheral blood monocytes were isolated for macrophage culture. The mRNA and protein expression levels of CYP7A1, ABCG5, and LXRß were determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot. The macrophage cholesterol efflux rate was determined with 10% autoserum and standard serum as receptors. We determined that the expression levels of macrophage CYP7A1 mRNA and protein in the type II DM group were significantly lower than those in the control group, but no differences were found in the ABCG5 and LXRß expression levels between the groups. The macrophage cholesterol efflux rate in the patients with type II DM was also significantly decreased compared with that of the normal control subjects (P < 0.01). Furthermore, CYP7A1 mRNA expression and macrophage cholesterol efflux rate were significantly positively correlated. In summary, this study demonstrated that the macrophage cholesterol efflux in patients with type II DM was significantly reduced, and that this reduction was associated with the down-regulation of CYP7A1 expression.

KIR3DL1 genetic diversity and phenotypic variation in the Chinese Han population.

Allelic polymorphism and expression variation of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) 3DL1 on natural killer (NK) cells differ among populations. To determine whether the phenotypic variants are due to KIR polymorphism, transcription or copy number, the allelic polymorphism, mRNA levels and antigen expression of KIR3DL1 were assessed in 162 individuals. We characterized 13 KIR3DL1 alleles, five of which were novel. In addition, 21 genotypes were identified. The correlation between the binding patterns of NK cells to anti-KIR3DL1 and KIR3DL1 alleles was also examined. NK cells with different 3DL1 alleles showed distinct binding levels to anti-KIR3DL1. The binding frequencies of NK cells to anti-KIR3DL1 were not accordant with their binding levels, but both associated with the allele copy numbers. The mRNA expression amounts of individuals with two copy alleles were higher than those of individuals with one copy allele. Our data indicate that both the allele copy number and polymorphism of KIR3DL1 influence the antigen expression on the NK-cell surface, but only the copy number was associated with mRNA expression.

Genomic full-length sequence of a novel HLA-B*39:01:01:03 allele was identified in a Chinese individual.

HLA-B*39:01:01:03 allele differs from HLA-B*39:01:01:01 allele by a single nucleotide substitution.

Identification of a novel HLA-DPB1 allele, HLA-DPB1*167:01, in a Chinese individual.

HLA-DPB1*167:01 allele differs from HLA-DPB1*10:01 by a single nucleotide substitution at codon 65 (ATC>CTC.

A novel allele, HLA-B*54:29, identified by sequence-based typing in a Chinese bone marrow donor.

HLA-B*54:29 allele differs from B*54:01:01 at nucleotide position 442 A>C in exon 3.

A novel HLA-C allele, C*08:01:10 was identified in a Chinese leukemia patient.

HLA-C*08:01:10 differs from HLA-C*08:01:01 by a single non-coding change at nucleotide 339 G>A.

Identification of two novel alleles HLA-A*11:133 and A*11:02:05 by polymerase chain reaction sequence-based typing.

HLA-A*11:113 shows one nucleotide difference from HLA-A*11:01:01: HLA-A*11:02:05 shows a single nucleotide difference from HLA-A*11:02:01.

HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-DRB1 allele and haplotype frequencies in 6384 umbilical cord blood units and transplantation matching and engraftment statistics in the Zhejiang cord blood bank of China.

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is a widely accepted source of progenitor cells, and now, many cord blood banks were established. Here, we analysed the HLA-A, HLA-B and HLA-DRB1 allele and haplotype frequencies, HLA matching possibilities for searching potential donors and outcome of UCB transplantations in Zhejiang cord blood bank of China. A total of 6384 UCB units were characterized for 17 HLA-A, 30 HLA-B and 13 HLA-DRB1 alleles at the first field resolution level. Additionally, B*14, B*15 and B*40 were typed to the second field level. A total of 1372 distinct A-B-DRB1 haplotypes were identified. The frequencies of 7 haplotypes were more than 1%, and 439 haplotypes were <0.01%. A*02-B*46-DRB1*09, A*33-B*58-DRB1*03 and A*30-B*13-DRB1*07 were the most common haplotypes, with frequencies of 4.4%, 3.3%, and 2.9%, respectively. Linkage disequilibrium(LD) analysis showed that there were 83 A-B, 106 B-DRB1, 54 A-DRB1 haplotypes with positive LD, in which 51 A-B, 60 B-DRB1, 32 A-DRB1 haplotypes exhibited a significant LD (P < 0.05). In 682 search requests, 12.9%, 40.0% and 42.7% of patients were found to have 6 of 6, 5 of 6 and 4 of 6 HLA-A, HLA-B and HLA-DRB1 matching donors, respectively. A total of 30 UCB units were transplanted to 24 patients (3 patients not evaluated due to early death); 14 of 21 patients (66.7%) engrafted. This study reveals the HLA distribution and its transplantation application in the cord blood bank of Zhejiang province. These data can help to select potential UCB donors for transplantation and used to assess the scale of new cord blood banking endeavours.

A novel HLA allele, HLA-B*40:227, was identified by polymerase chain reaction sequence-based typing in a Chinese individual.

HLA-B*40:227 has one nucleotide change from B*40:01:01 in exon 2 at position 265 C>G.