Exploration of the external and internal factors that affected learning effectiveness for the students: a questionnaire survey.

Learning effectiveness may be affected by internal and external factors, including personal attitude, motivations, learning skills, learning environment and peer pressure. This study sought to explore potential factors on students who majored in medical technology. The 106 students who completed their internship at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital were enrolled in this study. A written questionnaire was analyzed to explore the relationship between potential factors and learning effectiveness. The strength of relationship between the outcome and each factor was evaluated using Spearman correlation coefficients. A multiple linear regression model was constructed to assess how those factors affected learning effectiveness altogether. The results indicated that the learning effectiveness of the students mainly depended on three factors: the "extracurricular studies" and "willingness to cooperate" were positively associated with learning effectiveness. However, the "weakened motivation due to uncertainty" is negatively associated with learning effectiveness. We suggested that the educators can understand the uncertainty of students about the future. Additionally, the projects that require joint cooperation and discussion need to be given. The most important thing is that students should be able to integrate the learning content instead of rote.

Identification of a novel A2 allele through nt543 substitution.

BACKGROUND: ABO blood system has many subgroups. In A group, A1 phenotype and A2 phenotype are more common, and A2 is caused by deletion or substitution in A1 allele (ABO*A1.01). METHODS: Based on standard ABO serological test, the subject was identified as A2 phenotype. Direct sequencing and ABO gene cloning were performed to analyze the allele. RESULTS: The subject had one A1v allele (ABO*A1.02) and one O allele. The haplotype sequencing analysis of each allelic clone demonstrated that allele 1 was A1v (ABO*A1.02) allele with nt543 variation (543 G > C) and allele 2 was O1v allele (ABO*O.01.02) with nt261 deletion and nt220 variation. CONCLUSION: The 543 G > C nucleotide substitution of the present A1v allele (ABO*A1.02) shares the same sequence variation site with Ax allele (ABO*AW.33) (543 G > T), and both 543 G > C and 543 G > T nucleotide substitutions encode the same amino acid change of tryptophan to cysteine. Mechanism, such as allelic enhancement, has been proposed to explain this controversial phenotype-genotype relationship. But in present case, there has been no B allele to enhance the expression of Ax to that expected of A2, so there could be another novel underlying mechanism to be investigated.

Rapid rare ABO blood typing using a single PCR based on a multiplex SNaPshot reaction.

BACKGROUND: ABO subgroups would be considered when discrepancies in ABO grouping occur. Serological methods including adsorption-elution test, salivary ABH inhibition test, and anti-A1 (lectin) saline method could be used. However, these serological methods are laboring and obscure. Therefore, reliable and affordable method to assess the ABO subgroups is of particular interest. METHODS: To solve this problem, the multiplex SNaPshot-based assays were designed to determine rare A and B subgroups. Primers used as probes for determination of rare ABO blood groups known in Taiwanese population were designed. Many ABO subtype samples were used to validate the accuracy and reproducibility of our SNaPshot panel. RESULTS: A panel of primer probes were successfully designed in determining 8 SNP sites (261, 539, 838, 820, 745, 664, IVS6 +5, and 829 in exon 6 and 7) for A phenotype and 6 SNP sites (261, 796, IVS3 +5, 247, 523, and 502 in exon 2, 6 and 7 and intron 3) for B phenotype. SNaPshot analysis for defining blood group A alleles (A1, A2, A3, Am and Ael) and blood group B alleles (B1, B3, Bw and Bel) was therefore available. CONCLUSION: SNaPshot analysis could be used in reference laboratories for typing known rare subgroups of A and B without DNA cloning and traditional sequencing. Moreover, this method would help to construct databases of genotyped blood donors, and it potentially plays a role in determining fetal-maternal ABO incompatibility.

Real-time amplification of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene for quality control of leukopoor platelets.

BACKGROUND: Leukoreduction of blood products is crucial to prevent white blood cell (WBC)-associated complications during transfusion. Of the widely accepted methods for quantifying WBCs in blood components, Nageotte hemocytometry is time-consuming and laborious whereas a specialized instrument is required for flow cytometry. A reliable and affordable method to assess WBC count in blood products is of particular interest. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene was developed for quantifying WBCs in leukopoor platelets (LPPs). After normalization by the cell-free prefiltrated and postfiltrated plasma DNA, the relative copy number of GAPDH gene in the platelet (PLT) concentrate and its corresponding LPPs was calculated according to the equation of 2(-ΔΔCt) of which Ct is defined as the threshold cycle. The percentage and the number of WBCs that remained in LPPs were consequently determined. This method was compared to Nageotte hemocytometry and was validated by using serially diluted PLT concentrate and 10 pairs of PLT concentrate-LPP samples. RESULTS: Consistent with the removal of WBCs after filtration, the Ct values for the LPP samples were increased when compared to their corresponding PLT concentrate. As revealed by real-time PCR of GAPDH gene, there is a correlation between the calculated and theoretical WBC count in the serially diluted PLT concentrate (correlation coefficient, 0.9532). The WBC counts for the 10 LPP samples were comparable between Nageotte and real-time PCR method and were all below 3.3 × 10(6) WBCs/L. CONCLUSION: The real-time PCR method we report in this study is applicable for routine quality assurance during leukoreduction process.

Preliminary Data on SNP of Transplantation-Related Genes after Haploidentical Stem Cell Transplantation.

Background: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is one of the mainstream treatments for patients with hematologic malignancies. The matching status of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) between the donor and recipient is highly related to the outcomes of HSCT. Haploidentical HSCT (haplo-HSCT) has emerged as a type of HSCT for patients who cannot find a fully HLA-matched donor. In this study, we investigated whether the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the HLA-related genes and the genes encoding co-stimulatory molecules located on the non-HLA region are related to the outcomes of haplo-HSCT. Methods: The genomic DNAs of 24 patients and their respective donors were isolated from the peripheral blood obtained before performing haplo-HSCT. A total of 75 SNPs of the HLA-related genes (HCP5, NOTCH4, HLA-DOA, LTA, HSPA1L, BAG6, RING1, TRIM27, and HLA-DOB) and the genes located in the non-HLA genes involved in co-stimulatory signaling (CTLA4, TNFSF4, CD28, and PDCD1) were selected to explore their relationship with the outcomes after haplo-HSCT, including graft-versus-host disease, survival status, and relapse. Results: Our data revealed that specific donor or patient SNPs, including rs79327197 of the HLA-DOA gene, rs107822 and rs213210 of the RING1 gene, rs2523676 of the HCP5 gene, rs5742909 of the CTLA4 gene, rs5839828 and rs36084323 of the PDCD1 gene, and rs1234314 of the TNFSF4 gene, were significantly related to the development of adverse outcomes post-haplo-HSCT. Conclusions: These SNPs may play important roles in post-transplant immune response that can be considered during the selection of suitable donors.

Benefit analysis of the auto-verification system of intelligent inspection for microorganisms.

In recent years, the automatic machine for microbial identification and antibiotic susceptibility tests has been introduced into the microbiology laboratory of our hospital, but there are still many steps that need manual operation. The purpose of this study was to establish an auto-verification system for bacterial naming to improve the turnaround time (TAT) and reduce the burden on clinical laboratory technologists. After the basic interpretation of the gram staining results of microorganisms, the appearance of strain growth, etc., the 9 rules were formulated by the laboratory technologists specialized in microbiology for auto-verification of bacterial naming. The results showed that among 70,044 reports, the average pass rate of auto-verification was 68.2%, and the reason for the failure of auto-verification was further evaluated. It was found that the main causes reason the inconsistency between identification results and strain appearance rationality, the normal flora in the respiratory tract and urine that was identified, the identification limitation of the mass spectrometer, and so on. The average TAT for the preliminary report of bacterial naming was 35.2 h before, which was reduced to 31.9 h after auto-verification. In summary, after auto-verification, the laboratory could replace nearly 2/3 of manual verification and issuance of reports, reducing the daily workload of medical laboratory technologists by about 2 h. Moreover, the TAT on the preliminary identification report was reduced by 3.3 h on average, which could provide treatment evidence for clinicians in advance.

Irregular Antibody Screening Using a Microdroplet Platform.

The screening procedure for antibodies is considered the most tedious among the three pretransfusion operations, i.e., ABO and Rhesus (Rh) typing, irregular antibody screening/identification, and crossmatching tests. The commonly used screening method for irregular antibodies in clinics at present is a manual polybrene test (MP). The MP test involves numerous reagent replacement and centrifuge procedures, and the sample volume is expected to be relatively less. Herein, screening red blood cells (RBCs) and serum irregular antibodies are encapsulated in microdroplets with a diameter of ~300 µm for a hemagglutination reaction. Owing to the advantage of spatial limitation in microdroplets, screening RBCs and irregular antibodies can be directly agglutinated, thereby eliminating the need for centrifugation and the addition of reagents to promote agglutination, as required by the MP method. Furthermore, the results for a large number of repeated tests can be concurrently obtained, further simplifying the steps of irregular antibody screening and increasing accuracy. Eight irregular antibodies are screened using the proposed platform, and the results are consistent with the MP method. Moreover, the volume of blood samples and antibodies can be reduced to 10 µL and 5 µL, respectively, which is ten times less than that using the MP method.

Exploring the Bio-Functional Effect of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the Promoter Region of the TNFSF4, CD28, and PDCD1 Genes.

In a prior study, we discovered that hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and/or autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, were associated with the rs1234314 C/G and rs45454293 C/T polymorphisms of TNFSF4, the rs5839828 C > del and rs36084323 C > T polymorphisms of PDCD1, and the rs28541784C/T, rs200353921A/T, rs3181096C/T, and rs3181098 G/A polymorphisms of CD28. However, the association does not imply causation. These single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are all located in the promoter region of these genes, so we used the dual-luminescence reporter assay to explore the effect of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on transcriptional activity. For each promoter-reporter with a single SNP mutation, more than 10 independent experiments were carried out, and the difference in transcription activity was compared using one-way ANOVA and Tukey's honestly significant difference test. The results showed that the G-allele of rs1234314 had 0.32 ± 0.09 times the average amount of relative light units (RLU) compared to the C-allele (p = 0.003), the T-allele of rs45454293 had 4.63 ± 0.92 times the average amount of RLU compared to the C-allele (p < 0.001), the del-allele of rs5839828 had 1.37 ± 0.24 times the average amount of RLU compared to the G-allele (p < 0.001), and the T-allele of rs36084323 had 0.68 ± 0.07 times the average amount of RLU compared to the C-allele (p < 0.001). The CD28 SNPs studied here did not affect transcriptional activity. In conclusion, the findings of this study could only confirm that the SNP had a bio-functional effect on gene expression levels. According to the findings, several SNPs in the same gene have bio-functions that affect transcriptional activity. However, some increase transcriptional activity while others decrease it. Consequently, we inferred that the final protein level should be the integration result of the co-regulation of all the SNPs with the effect on transcriptional activity.

Association between diminished miRNA expression and the disease status of AML patients: Comparing to healthy control.

BACKGROUND: Changes in ABO blood type caused by a gradual decrease in antigen expression have been found in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Studies have indicated that alteration of ABO gene methylation accounts for 50% of acquired weak ABO antigen expression in patients with leukemia. However, the molecular mechanisms contributing to the remaining 50% of cases are unknown. We hypothesize that deregulation of miRNA is correlated with weak ABO antigen expression in patients with AML. METHODS: Blood samples of 19 patients with AML and 12 healthy controls were collected, in which the blood type was not changed in these AML patients. Flow cytometric analysis was applied to measure the ABO antigen expression titer among AML patients and controls. A total of 18 leukemia-related miRNAs were analyzed via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions. RESULTS: We found that miRNA profiles were correlated with the AML patients, especially in those who had constant or weakened ABO antigen expressions. Compared with healthy controls, the miR-16 and miR-451 expression were significantly lower in either AML cases with weak ABO antigen expressions (p = 0.003, p = 0.028, respectively) or AML cases with constant ABO antigen expressions (p = 0.043, p = 0.040, respectively). Although not statistically significant, decreasing trends in the miR-451 and miR-16 expressions in the AML patients with weakened ABO were observed compared to those with constant ABO antigens. The weak ABO antigen expression might correlate with miRNAs, especially miR-16 and miR-451. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that decreasing in miR-16 and miR-451 was associated with AML and AML with weakened ABO expression. In the future, we will continue to include more cases and exclude the others factor influencing ABO antigen expression, promoter methylation and oxidative stress, to replicate the results of this study and investigate the underlying mechanism of decreasing miR-16 and miR-451 in AML patients with varied ABO antigen expression levels.

The susceptibility of single nucleotide polymorphisms located within co-stimulatory pathways to systemic lupus erythematosus.

Introduction: Autoimmune diseases result from the loss of immune tolerance, and they exhibit complex pathogenic mechanisms that remain challenging to effectively treat. It has been reported that the altered expression levels of co-stimulatory/inhibitory molecules will affect the level of T/B cell activation and lead to the loss of immune tolerance. Methods: In this study, we evaluated the gene polymorphisms of the ligand genes corresponding co-stimulatory system that were expressed on antigen-presenting cells (CD80, CD86, ICOSLG, and PDL1) from 60 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and 60 healthy controls. Results: The results showed that rs16829984 and rs57271503 of the CD80 gene and rs4143815 of the PDL1 gene were associated with SLE, in which the G-allele of rs16829984 (p=0.022), the A-allele of rs57271503 (p=0.029), and the GG and GC genotype of rs4143815 (p=0.039) may be risk polymorphisms for SLE. Discussion: These SNPs are in the promoter and 3'UTR of the genes, so they may affect the transcription and translation activity of the genes, thereby regulating immune function and contributing to the development of SLE.

Exploration of the association between the single-nucleotide polymorphism of co-stimulatory system and rheumatoid arthritis.

Introduction: The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) has been linked to the majority of autoimmune diseases (ADs). However, non-HLA genes may be risk factors for ADs. A number of genes encoding proteins involved in regulating T-cell and B-cell function have been identified as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) susceptibility genes. Methods: In this study, we investigated the association between RA and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of co-stimulatory or co-inhibitory molecules in 124 RA cases and 100 healthy controls without immune-related diseases [including tumor necrosis factor superfamily member 4 (TNFSF4), CD28, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4), and programmed cell death protein 1 (PDCD1)]. Results: The results showed that there were 13 SNPs associated with RA, including rs181758110 of TNFSF4 (CC vs. CT, p = 0.038); rs3181096 of CD28 (TT vs. CC + CT, p = 0.035; CC vs. TT, p = 0.047); rs11571315 (TT vs. CT, p = 0.045), rs733618 (CC vs. TT + CT, p = 0.043), rs4553808 (AA vs. AG vs. GG, p = 0.035), rs11571316 (GG vs. AG vs. AA, p = 0.048; GG vs. AG + AA, p = 0.026; GG vs. AG, p = 0.014), rs16840252 (CC vs. CT vs. TT, p = 0.007; CC vs. CT, p = 0.011), rs5742909 (CC vs. CT vs. TT, p = 0.040), and rs11571319 of CTLA4 (GG vs. AG vs. AA, p < 0.001; GG vs. AG + AA, p = 0.048; AA vs. GG + AG, p = 0.001; GG vs. AA, p = 0.008; GG vs. AG, p ≤ 0.001); and rs10204525 (TT vs. CT + CC, p = 0.024; TT vs. CT, p = 0.021), rs2227982 (AA vs. GG, p = 0.047), rs36084323 (TT vs. CT vs. CC, p = 0.022; TT vs. CT + CC, p = 0.013; CC vs. TT + CT, p = 0.048; TT vs. CC, p = 0.008), and rs5839828 of PDCD1 (DEL vs. DEL/G vs. GG, p = 0.014; DEL vs. DEL/G + GG, p = 0.014; GG vs. DEL + DEL/G, p = 0.025; DEL vs. GG, p = 0.007). Discussion: Consequently, these SNPs may play an important role in immune regulation, and further research into the role of these SNPs of immune regulatory genes in the pathogenesis of RA is required.

Finding the Common Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Three Autoimmune Diseases and Exploring Their Bio-Function by Using a Reporter Assay.

In clinical practice, it is found that autoimmune thyroid disease often additionally occurs with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In addition, several studies showed that eye-specific autoimmune diseases may have a strong relationship with systemic autoimmune diseases. We focused on Graves' disease (GD) with ocular conditions, also known as Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO), trying to find out the potential genetic background related to GO, RA, and SLE. There were 40 GO cases and 40 healthy controls enrolled in this study. The association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the co-stimulatory molecule genes and GO was analyzed using a chi-square test. It showed that rs11571315, rs733618, rs4553808, rs11571316, rs16840252, and rs11571319 of CTLA4, rs3181098 of CD28, rs36084323 and rs10204525 of PDCD1, and rs11889352 and rs4675379 of ICOS were significantly associated with GO based on genotype analysis and/or allele analysis (p < 0.05). After summarizing the GO data and the previously published SLE and RA data, it was found that rs11571315, rs733618, rs4553808, rs16840252, rs11571319, and rs36084323 were shared in these three diseases. Furthermore, the bio-function was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay. It was shown that rs733618 T > C and rs4553808 A > G significantly decreased the transcriptional activity (both p < 0.001). This study is the first to confirm that these three diseases share genetically predisposing factors, and our results support the proposal that rs733618 T > C and rs4553808 A > G have bio-functional effects on the transcriptional activity of the CTLA4 gene.

The association between genetic variants at 3'-UTR and 5'-URR of HLA-G gene and the clinical outcomes of patients with leukemia receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

In addition to the classical human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes, the outcomes of post-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are associated with human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-related genes and non-HLA genes involved in immune regulation. HLA-G gene plays an important role in immune tolerance, assisting immune escape of tumor cells, and decrease of transplant rejection. In this study, we explored the association of genetic variants at the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) and 5'-upstream regulatory region (5'-URR) of HLA-G gene with the adverse outcomes of patients with leukemia receiving HSCT. The genomic DNAs of 164 patients who had acute leukemia and received HSCT were collected for analysis. Nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and six haplotypes in the 3'-UTR and 27 SNPs and 6 haplotypes in the 5'-URR were selected to investigate their relationship with the development of adverse outcomes for patients receiving HSCT, including mortality, relapse, and graft-versus-host disease. Our results revealed that two SNPs (rs371194629 and rs9380142) and one haplotype (UTR-3) located in the 3'-UTR and two SNPs (rs3823321 and rs1736934) and one haplotype (G0104a) located in the 5'-URR of HLA-G were associated with the occurrence of chronic GVHD or development of any forms of GVHD. No SNP was found to associate with the occurrence of mortality and relapse for patients receiving HSCT. These SNPs and haplotypes may play important roles in regulating immune tolerance of allografts post-HSCT that can be used to predict the risk of poor outcomes after receiving HSCT and giving preventive treatment to patients on time.

Screening of single nucleotide polymorphisms within HLA region related to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation using MassARRAY technology.

A growing number of studies showed that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-related genes were associated with the outcome of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Thus, other SNPs located nearby the classical HLA genes must be considered in HSCT. We evaluated the clinical feasibility of MassARRAY by comparing to Sanger sequencing. The PCR amplicons with each one of the 17 loci that were related to the outcomes of HSCT published by our previous study were transferred onto a SpectroCHIP Array for genotyping by mass spectrometry. The sensitivity of MassARRAY was 97.9% (614/627) and the specificity was 100% (1281/1281), where the positive predictive value (PPV) was 100% (614/614) and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 99.0% (1281/1294). MassARRAY is high-throughput, which can accurately analyze multiple SNPs at the same time. Based on these properties, we proposed that it could be an efficient method to match the genotype between the graft and the recipient before transplantation.

Investigation of the association between the genetic polymorphisms of the co-stimulatory system and systemic lupus erythematosus.

Human leukocyte antigen genes have been shown to have the strongest association with autoimmune disease (AD). However, non-HLA genes would be risk factors of AD. Many genes encoding proteins that are related to T- and B-cell function have been identified as susceptibility genes of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In this study, we explored the correlation between SLE and the genetic polymorphisms of co-stimulatory/co-inhibitory molecules, including CTLA4, CD28, ICOS, PDCD1, and TNFSF4. We found that there were nine single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with SLE, namely, rs11571315 (TT vs. CT vs. CC: p < 0.001; TT vs. CT: p = 0.001; p = 0.005; TT vs. CT +CC: p < 0.001; TT+CT vs. CC: p = 0.032), rs733618 (CC vs. CT vs. TT: p = 0.002; CC vs. CT: p = 0.001; CC vs. TT: p = 0.018; CC vs. CT + TT: p = 0.001), rs4553808 (AA vs. AG: p < 0.001), rs62182595 (GG vs. AG vs. AA: p < 0.001; GG vs. AG: p < 0.001; GG vs. AG+AA: p < 0.001), rs16840252 (CC vs. CT vs. TT: p < 0.001; CC vs. CT: p < 0.001; CC vs. CT + TT: p < 0.001), rs5742909 (CC vs. CT: p = 0.027; CC vs. CT + TT: p = 0.044), rs11571319 (GG vs. AG vs. AA: p < 0.001, GG vs. AG: p < 0.001; GG vs. AG+AA: p < 0.001), rs36084323 (CC vs. CT vs. TT: p = 0.013, CC vs. TT: p = 0.004; CC vs. CT + TT: p = 0.015; CC +CT vs. TT: p = 0.015), and rs1234314 (CC vs. CG vs. GG: p = 0.005; GG vs. CC: p = 0.004; GG+ CG vs. CC: p = 0.001), but not in CD28 and ICOS by using the chi-square test. Additionally, rs62182595 and rs16840252 of CTLA and rs1234314 and rs45454293 of TNFSF4 were also associated with SLE in haplotypes. These SLE-related SNPs also had an association with several diseases. It was indicated that these SNPs may play an important role in immune regulation and pathogenic mechanisms.

Corrigendum: Investigation of the association between the genetic polymorphisms of co-stimulatory system and systemic lupus erythematosus.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.946456.].

Investigation of the correlation between immune thrombocytopenia and T cell activity-regulated gene polymorphism using functional study.

Thrombocytopenia is a condition where the platelet count is under 100 × 109/L, which is caused by various disorders. However, the mechanism of thrombocytopenia is still unclear. Hence, we tried to investigate the correlation between immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of genes related to T cell activation. There were 32 ITP patients and 30 healthy controls enrolled in this study. PCR and sequencing were used to find out the significant SNPs, which we focused on the promoter region of CTLA4 and CD28. In this study, the ITP cases were divided into primary ITP group, secondary ITP group, and the combination of the two to the follow-up analysis. Moreover, dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to evaluate the transcription activity of the significant SNP. We found the - 1765_rs11571315 of CTLA4 gene was associated with primary ITP (p = 0.006), secondary ITP (p = 0.008), and the combination of the two (p = 0.003). Moreover, the -318_rs5742909 also had statistical significance in secondary ITP group that was only caused by autoimmune disease (p = 0.019). In functional study, the rs5742909 would decrease 19% of the transcription activity when it carried a T-allele at this position (p = 0.040). It was noted that CTLA4 gene polymorphism was related to ITP but not CD28. According to our results, we surmised that CTLA4 is involved in the pathogenesis of ITP, and the secondary ITP result from the lower CTLA4 expression that leads to T cell over-activation.

Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms Within Non-HLA Regions Are Associated With Engraftment Effectiveness for Patients With Unrelated Cord Blood Transplantation.

Clinically, stem cells with matched human leukocyte antigens (HLAs) must be selected for allogeneic transplantation to avoid graft rejection. However, adverse reactions still occur after cord blood transplantation (CBT). It was inferred that the HLA system is not the only regulatory factor that may influence CBT outcomes. Therefore, we plan to investigate whether the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in non-HLA genes are associated with the effectiveness of CBT. In this study, the samples of 65 donors from CBT cases were collected for testing. DNA sequencing was focused on the SNPs of non-HLA genes, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4), CD28, tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily 4 (TNFSF4), and programmed cell death protein 1 (PDCD1), which were selected in regard to the literatures published in 2017 and 2018, which indicated that they were related to stem cell transplantation. Then, in combination with the detailed follow-up transplantation tracking database, these SNPs were analyzed with the risk of mortality, relapse, cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). We found that there were 2 SNPs of CTLA4, 1 SNP of TNFSF4, and 2 SNPs of PDCD1 associated with the effectiveness of unrelated CBT. These statistically significant SNPs and haplotypes would be used in clinical to choose the best donor for the patient receiving CBT. Moreover, the polygenic risk scores (PRSs) with these SNPs could be used to predict the risk of CBT adverse reactions with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.7692. Furthermore, these SNPs were associated with several immune-related diseases or cancer susceptibility, which implied that SNPs play an important role in immune regulation.

Association between the side effect induced by COVID-19 vaccines and the immune regulatory gene polymorphism.

People often worry about the side effects after vaccination, reducing the willingness to vaccinate. Thus, we tried to find out the risk of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) vaccines to improve the willingness and confidence in vaccination. Allergic and inflammatory reactions are the common vaccine side effects caused by immune system overreaction. In addition, a previous study showed significantly higher frequency of febrile reactions to measles vaccines in American Indians than in Caucasian children, indicating that the side effects varied in accordance with genetic polymorphisms in individuals. Thus, SNPs of immune regulatory genes, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4), CD28, tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily member 4 (TNFSF4) and programmed cell death protein 1 (PDCD1) were included in this study to analyze their association with vaccine side effects. Moreover, 61 healthy participants were asked on the number of doses they received, the brand of the vaccine, and the side effects they suffered. We found that several SNPs were associated with side effects after the first or second dose of mRNA or adenoviral vector vaccines. Furthermore, these SNPs were associated with several autoimmune diseases and cancer types; thus, they played an important role in immune regulation. Moreover, rs3181096 and rs3181098 of CD28, rs733618 and rs3087243 of CTLA, and rs1234314 of TNFSF4 were associated with mild vaccine side effects induced by mRNA and adenoviral vector vaccines, which would play a potential role in vaccine-induced immune responses and may further lead to fatal side effects. These results could serve as a basis for investigating the mechanism of vaccine side effects. Furthermore, it was hoped that these results would address public concerns about the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccination. In clinical application, a rapid screening test can be performed to assess the risk of vaccine side effects before vaccination and provide immediate treatment.

CD28 Gene Polymorphisms in the Promoter Region Are Associated with Transfusion Reactions: A Functional Study.

Transfusion reactions are mainly induced by the interaction of an antigen and antibody. However, transfusion reactions still occur with the implementing of crossmatching and usage of pre-storage leukoreduced blood products. The roles of CD28 and CTLA4 gene polymorphisms in transfusion reaction have been shown, and subjects with certain single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the CD28 or CTLA4 gene had a significantly higher risk of transfusion reactions. In total, 40 patients with transfusion reactions after receiving pre-storage leukoreduced blood products were enrolled in this study. We focused on the SNPs located in the CD28 promoter region (rs1879877, rs3181096, rs3181097, and rs3181098) to find out the significant SNP. A luciferase reporter assay was used to investigate the expression level of protein affected by promoter SNP variation. We found that the polymorphism of rs3181097 was associated with transfusion reactions (p = 0.003 in additive model and p = 0.015 in dominant model). Consequently, we investigated the biological function in the CD28 promoter polymorphisms (rs1879877 G > T, rs3181096 C > T, rs3181097 G > A, and rs3181098 G > A) by using dual-spectral luciferase reporter assay. The results showed that the ex-pression level of CD28 was decreased under the effect of rs3181097 with A-allele. This suggested that rs3181097 may regulate immune response through decreasing CD28 protein expression and then lead to development of transfusion reactions.