Systemic immune profiling of Omicron-infected subjects inoculated with different doses of inactivated virus vaccine.

SARS-CoV-2 primary strain-based vaccination exerts a protective effect against Omicron variants-initiated infection, symptom occurrence, and disease severity in a booster-dependent manner. Yet, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. During the 2022 Omicron outbreak in Shanghai, we enrolled 122 infected adults and 50 uninfected controls who had been unvaccinated or vaccinated with two or three doses of COVID-19 inactive vaccines and performed integrative analysis of 41-plex CyTOF, RNA-seq, and Olink on their peripheral blood samples. The frequencies of HLA-DRhi classical monocytes, non-classical monocytes, and Th1-like Tem tended to increase, whereas the frequency of Treg was reduced by booster vaccine, and they influenced symptom occurrence in a vaccine dose-dependent manner. Intercorrelation and mechanistic analysis suggested that the booster vaccination induced monocytic training, which would prime monocytic activation and maturation rather than differentiating into myeloid-derived suppressive cells upon Omicron infections. Overall, our study provides insights into how booster vaccination elaborates protective immunity across SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Aging and comprehensive molecular profiling in acute myeloid leukemia.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aging-related and heterogeneous hematopoietic malignancy. In this study, a total of 1,474 newly diagnosed AML patients with RNA sequencing data were enrolled, and targeted or whole exome sequencing data were obtained in 94% cases. The correlation of aging-related factors including age and clonal hematopoiesis (CH), gender, and genomic/transcriptomic profiles (gene fusions, genetic mutations, and gene expression networks or pathways) was systematically analyzed. Overall, AML patients aged 60 y and older showed an apparently dismal prognosis. Alongside age, the frequency of gene fusions defined in the World Health Organization classification decreased, while the positive rate of gene mutations, especially CH-related ones, increased. Additionally, the number of genetic mutations was higher in gene fusion-negative (GF-) patients than those with GF. Based on the status of CH- and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)-related mutations, three mutant subgroups were identified among the GF- AML cohort, namely, CH-AML, CH-MDS-AML, and other GF- AML. Notably, CH-MDS-AML demonstrated a predominance of elderly and male cases, cytopenia, and significantly adverse clinical outcomes. Besides, gene expression networks including HOXA/B, platelet factors, and inflammatory responses were most striking features associated with aging and poor prognosis in AML. Our work has thus unraveled the intricate regulatory circuitry of interactions among different age, gender, and molecular groups of AML.

Transcriptome-based molecular subtypes and differentiation hierarchies improve the classification framework of acute myeloid leukemia.

The current classification of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) relies largely on genomic alterations. Robust identification of clinically and biologically relevant molecular subtypes from nongenomic high-throughput sequencing data remains challenging. We established the largest multicenter AML cohort (n = 655) in China, with all patients subjected to RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) and 619 (94.5%) to targeted or whole-exome sequencing (TES/WES). Based on an enhanced consensus clustering, eight stable gene expression subgroups (G1-G8) with unique clinical and biological significance were identified, including two unreported (G5 and G8) and three redefined ones (G4, G6, and G7). Apart from four well-known low-risk subgroups including PML::RARA (G1), CBFB::MYH11 (G2), RUNX1::RUNX1T1 (G3), biallelic CEBPA mutations or -like (G4), four meta-subgroups with poor outcomes were recognized. The G5 (myelodysplasia-related/-like) subgroup enriched clinical, cytogenetic and genetic features mimicking secondary AML, and hotspot mutations of IKZF1 (p.N159S) (n = 7). In contrast, most NPM1 mutations and KMT2A and NUP98 fusions clustered into G6-G8, showing high expression of HOXA/B genes and diverse differentiation stages, from hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell down to monocyte, namely HOX-primitive (G7), HOX-mixed (G8), and HOX-committed (G6). Through constructing prediction models, the eight gene expression subgroups could be reproduced in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Beat AML cohorts. Each subgroup was associated with distinct prognosis and drug sensitivities, supporting the clinical applicability of this transcriptome-based classification of AML. These molecular subgroups illuminate the complex molecular network of AML, which may promote systematic studies of disease pathogenesis and foster the screening of targeted agents based on omics.

Manipulation of ubiquitin/SUMO pathways in human herpesviruses infection.

Post-translational modification of proteins with ubiquitin/small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) molecules triggers multiple signaling pathways that are critical for many aspects of cellular physiology. Given that viruses hijack the biosynthetic and degradative systems of their host, it is not surprising that viruses encode proteins to manipulate the host's cellular machinery for ubiquitin/SUMO modification at multiple levels. Infection with a herpesvirus, among the most ubiquitous human DNA viruses, has been linked to many human diseases, including cancers. The interplay between human herpesviruses and the ubiquitylation/SUMOylation modification system has been extensively investigated in the past decade. In this review, we present an overview of recent advances to address how the ubiquitin/SUMO-modified system alters the latency and lytic replication of herpesvirus and how herpesviruses usurp the ubiquitin/SUMO pathways against the host's intrinsic and innate immune response to favor their pathogenesis.

Cross-sectional network analysis of plasma proteins/metabolites correlated with pathogenesis and therapeutic response in acute promyelocytic leukemia.

The treatment of PML/RARA+ acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) with all-trans-retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide (ATRA/ATO) has been recognized as a model for translational medicine research. Though an altered microenvironment is a general cancer hallmark, how APL blasts shape their plasma composition is poorly understood. Here, we reported a cross-sectional correlation network to interpret multilayered datasets on clinical parameters, proteomes, and metabolomes of paired plasma samples from patients with APL before or after ATRA/ATO induction therapy. Our study revealed the two prominent features of the APL plasma, suggesting a possible involvement of APL blasts in modulating plasma composition. One was characterized by altered secretory protein and metabolite profiles correlating with heightened proliferation and energy consumption in APL blasts, and the other featured APL plasma-enriched proteins or enzymes catalyzing plasma-altered metabolites that were potential trans-regulatory targets of PML/RARA. Furthermore, results indicated heightened interferon-gamma signaling characterizing a tumor-suppressing function of the immune system at the first hematological complete remission stage, which likely resulted from therapy-induced cell death or senescence and ensuing supraphysiological levels of intracellular proteins. Overall, our work sheds new light on the pathophysiology and treatment of APL and provides an information-rich reference data cohort for the exploratory and translational study of leukemia microenvironment.

Cholesterol efflux from C1QB-expressing macrophages is associated with resistance to chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy in primary refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma.

Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy has demonstrated promising efficacy in early trials for relapsed/refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). However, its efficacy in treating primary refractory DLBCL has not been comprehensively investigated, and the underlying resistance mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we report the outcomes of a phase I, open-label, single-arm clinical trial of relmacabtagene autoleucel (relma-cel), a CD19-targeted CAR-T cell product, with safety and efficacy as primary endpoints. Among the 12 enrolled patients, 8 experienced grade 4 hematologic toxicity of treatment-emergent adverse event. No grade ≥3 cytokine release syndrome or neurotoxicity occurred. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed an increase proportion of C1QB-expressing macrophages in patients with progressive disease before CAR-T cell therapy. Cholesterol efflux from M2 macrophages was found to inhibit CAR-T cells cytotoxicity by inducing an immunosuppressive state in CD8+ T cells, leading to their exhaustion. Possible interactions between macrophages and CD8+ T cells, mediating lipid metabolism (AFR1-FAS), immune checkpoint activation, and T cell exhaustion (LGALS9-HAVCR2, CD86-CTLA4, and NECTIN2-TIGIT) were enhanced during disease progression. These findings suggest that cholesterol efflux from macrophages may trigger CD8+ T cell exhaustion, providing a rationale for metabolic reprogramming to counteract CAR-T treatment failure. Chinadrugtrials.org.cn identifier: CTR20200376.

Exome sequencing reveals genetic heterogeneity and clinically actionable findings in children with cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common motor disability in children. To ascertain the role of major genetic variants in the etiology of CP, we conducted exome sequencing on a large-scale cohort with clinical manifestations of CP. The study cohort comprised 505 girls and 1,073 boys. Utilizing the current gold standard in genetic diagnostics, 387 of these 1,578 children (24.5%) received genetic diagnoses. We identified 412 pathogenic and likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants across 219 genes associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, and 59 P/LP copy number variants. The genetic diagnostic rate of children with CP labeled at birth with perinatal asphyxia was higher than the rate in children without asphyxia (P = 0.0033). Also, 33 children with CP manifestations (8.5%, 33 of 387) had findings that were clinically actionable. These results highlight the need for early genetic testing in children with CP, especially those with risk factors like perinatal asphyxia, to enable evidence-based medical decision-making.

Single-cell atlas reveals a distinct immune profile fostered by T cell-B cell crosstalk in triple negative breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Characterizing the unique immune microenvironment of each tumor is of great importance for better predicting prognosis and guiding cancer immunotherapy. However, the unique features of the immune microenvironment of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) compared with other subtypes of breast cancer remain elusive. Therefore, we aimed to depict and compare the immune landscape among TNBC, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+ ) breast cancer, and luminal-like breast cancer. METHODS: Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was performed on CD45+ immune cells isolated from human normal breast tissues and primary breast tumors of various subtypes. By analyzing the scRNA-seq data, immune cell clusters were identified and their proportions as well as transcriptome features were compared among TNBC, human HER2+ breast cancer, and luminal-like breast cancer. Pseudotime and cell-cell communication analyses were also conducted to characterize the immune microenvironment. RESULTS: ScRNA-seq data of 117,958 immune cells were obtained and 31 immune clusters were identified. A unique immunosuppressive microenvironment in TNBC was decoded as compared to that in HER2+ or luminal-like breast cancer, which was characterized by higher proportions of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and exhausted CD8+ T cells and accompanied by more abundant plasma cells. Tregs and exhausted CD8+ T cells in TNBC exhibited increased immunosuppression signature and dysfunctional scores. Pseudotime analyses showed that B cells tended to differentiate to plasma cells in TNBC. Cell-cell communication analyses indicated that these unique features are fostered by the diversified T cell-B cell crosstalk in TNBC. Based on the T cell-B cell crosstalk, a prognostic signature was established that could effectively predict the prognosis status for patients with TNBC. Additionally, it was found that TNBC had a higher proportion of cytotoxic natural killer (NK) cells, whereas HER2+ or luminal-like breast cancer lost this feature, suggesting that HER2+ or luminal-like breast cancer, but not TNBC, may benefit from NK-based immunotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified a distinct immune feature fostered by T cell-B cell crosstalk in TNBC, which provides better prognostic information and effective therapeutic targets for breast cancer.

Immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment contributes to tumor progression in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma upon anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T therapy.

Anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy has achieved 40%-50% long-term complete response in relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients. However, the underlying mechanism of alterations in the tumor microenvironments resulting in CAR-T cell therapy failure needs further investigation. A multi-center phase I/II trial of anti-CD19 CD28z CAR-T (FKC876, ChiCTR1800019661) was conducted. Among 22 evaluable DLBCL patients, seven achieved complete remission, 10 experienced partial remissions, while four had stable disease by day 29. Single-cell RNA sequencing results were obtained from core needle biopsy tumor samples collected from long-term complete remission and early-progressed patients, and compared at different stages of treatment. M2-subtype macrophages were significantly involved in both in vivo and in vitro anti-tumor functions of CAR-T cells, leading to CAR-T cell therapy failure and disease progression in DLBCL. Immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments persisted before CAR-T cell therapy, during both cell expansion and disease progression, which could not be altered by infiltrating CAR-T cells. Aberrant metabolism profile of M2-subtype macrophages and those of dysfunctional T cells also contributed to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments. Thus, our findings provided a clinical rationale for targeting tumor microenvironments and reprogramming immune cell metabolism as effective therapeutic strategies to prevent lymphoma relapse in future designs of CAR-T cell therapy.

Early assessment of the safety and immunogenicity of a third dose (booster) of COVID-19 immunization in Chinese adults.

Inducing durable and effective immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) via vaccination is essential to combat the current pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It has been noticed that the strength of anti-COVID-19 vaccination-induced immunity fades over time, which calls for an additional vaccination regime, as known as booster immunization, to restore immunity among previously vaccinated populations. Here we report a pilot open-label trial of a third dose of BBIBP-CorV, an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (Vero cell), on 136 participants aged between 18 to 63 years. Safety and immunogenicity in terms of neutralizing antibody titers and cytokine/chemokine responses were analyzed as the main endpoint until day 28. While systemic reactogenicity was either absent or mild, SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing antibody titers rapidly arose in all participants within 4 weeks, surpassing the peak antibody titers elicited by the initial two-dose immunization regime. Broad increases of cellular immunity-associated cytokines and chemokines were also detected in the majority of participants after the third vaccination. Furthermore, in an exploratory study, a newly developed recombinant protein vaccine, NVSI-06-08 (CHO Cells), was found to be safe and even more effective than BBIBP-CorV in eliciting humoral immune responses in BBIBP-CorV-primed individuals. Together, these results indicate that a third immunization schedule with either homologous or heterologous vaccine showed favorable safety profiles and restored potent SARS-CoV-2-specific immunity, providing support for further trials of booster vaccination in larger populations.

Integration of Genomic and Transcriptomic Markers Improves the Prognosis Prediction of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia.

PURPOSE: The current stratification system for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is based on the white blood cell (WBC) and the platelet counts (i.e., Sanz score) over the past two decades. However, the borderlines among different risk groups are sometimes ambiguous, and for some patients, early death and relapse remained challenges. Besides, with the evolving of the treatment strategy from all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) and chemotherapy to ATRA-arsenic trioxide-based synergistic targeted therapy, the precise risk stratification with molecular markers is needed. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: This study performed a systematic analysis of APL genomics and transcriptomics to identify genetic abnormalities in 348 patients mainly from the APL2012 trial (NCT01987297) to illustrate the potential molecular background of Sanz score and further optimize it. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm was used to analyze the gene expression in 323 cases to establish a scoring system (i.e., APL9 score). RESULTS: Through combining NRAS mutations, APL9 score, and WBC, 321 cases can be stratified into two groups with significantly different outcomes. The estimated 5-year overall (P = 0.00031), event-free (P < 0.0001), and disease-free (P = 0.001) survival rates in the revised standard-risk group (95.6%, 93.8%, and 98.1%, respectively) were significantly better than those in the revised high-risk group (82.9%, 77.4%, and 88.4%, respectively), which could be validated using The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset. CONCLUSIONS: We have proposed a two-category system for improving prognosis in patients with APL. Molecular markers identified in this study may also provide genomic insights into the disease mechanism for improved therapy.

Integrating longitudinal clinical laboratory tests with targeted proteomic and transcriptomic analyses reveal the landscape of host responses in COVID-19.

The pathophysiology of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) involves a multitude of host responses, yet how they unfold during the course of disease progression remains unclear. Here, through integrative analysis of clinical laboratory tests, targeted proteomes, and transcriptomes of 963 patients in Shanghai, we delineate the dynamics of multiple circulatory factors within the first 30 days post-illness onset and during convalescence. We show that hypercortisolemia represents one of the probable causes of acute lymphocytopenia at the onset of severe/critical conditions. Comparison of the transcriptomes of the bronchoalveolar microenvironment and peripheral blood indicates alveolar macrophages, alveolar epithelial cells, and monocytes in lungs as the potential main sources of elevated cytokines mediating systemic immune responses and organ damages. In addition, the transcriptomes of patient blood cells are characterized by distinct gene regulatory networks and alternative splicing events. Our study provides a panorama of the host responses in COVID-19, which may serve as the basis for developing further diagnostics and therapy.

Gata2-L359V impairs primitive and definitive hematopoiesis and blocks cell differentiation in murine chronic myelogenous leukemia model.

GATA2, a key transcription factor in hematopoiesis, is frequently mutated in hematopoietic malignancies. How the GATA2 mutants contribute to hematopoiesis and malignant transformation remains largely unexplored. Here, we report that Gata2-L359V mutation impeded hematopoietic differentiation in murine embryonic and adult hematopoiesis and blocked murine chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cell differentiation. We established a Gata2-L359V knockin mouse model in which the homozygous Gata2-L359V mutation caused major defects in primitive erythropoiesis with an accumulation of erythroid precursors and severe anemia, leading to embryonic lethality around E11.5. During adult life, the Gata2-L359V heterozygous mice exhibited a notable decrease in bone marrow (BM) recovery under stress induction with cytotoxic drug 5-fluorouracil. Using RNA sequencing, it was revealed that homozygous Gata2-L359V suppressed genes related to embryonic hematopoiesis in yolk sac, while heterozygous Gata2-L359V dysregulated genes related to cell cycle and proliferation in BM Lin-Sca1+c-kit+ cells. Furthermore, through chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing and transactivation experiments, we found that this mutation enhanced the DNA-binding capacity and transcriptional activities of Gata2, which was likely associated with the altered expression of some essential genes during embryonic and adult hematopoiesis. In mice model harboring BCR/ABL, single-cell RNA-sequencing demonstrated that Gata2-L359V induced additional gene expression profile abnormalities and partially affected cell differentiation at the early stage of myelomonocytic lineage, evidenced by the increase of granulocyte-monocyte progenitors and monocytosis. Taken together, our study unveiled that Gata2-L359V mutation induces defective hematopoietic development and blocks the differentiation of CML cells.

Protective effects of gastrodia elata on aluminium-chloride-induced learning impairments and alterations of amino acid neurotransmitter release in adult rats.

PURPOSE: High brain levels of aluminum (Al) can be neurotoxic and cause learning and memory deficits. Gastrodia elata (GE) is a Chinese herb widely used for improving mental function in traditional Chinese medicine. We measured changes in Al-induced neurotransmitter alteration and performance on a learning and memory task to elucidate the mechanism of Al toxicity and to assess whether these alterations could be attenuated by GE. METHODS: Thirty-six adult, male rats were randomly divided into six groups. Four Al-exposed groups were given aluminum chloride at 5 mg/kg/day or 10 mg/kg/day (i.p.) for two months, with two of these groups (one for each dose of Al) receiving GE (0.4 g/kg, via oral intubation, with the GE powder mixed in the drinking water) while the other two groups received vehicle. A GE control group was given injections of saline plus GE and a saline control group was given injections of saline and with 3 injection days and one day off. A step-down test was used to measure learning and memory ability. Al concentrations in the neocortex were assayed with a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Amino acid neurotransmitter levels in the neocortex were determined by high performance liquid chromatogram-fluorescence. RESULTS: Al-exposed rats showed impaired learning and memory ability as indicated by shorter step down latency and more retention errors. Cortical concentrations (mean +/- SEM) of Al were: 56.22 +/- 34.10 ng/g (wet weight) in the Saline control group; 172.87 +/- 111.06 in the 5 mg/kg/dayAl group; 289.15 +/- 102.55 in the 10 mg Al group; 74.98 +/- 19.00 in the GE control group; 232.55 +/- 35.74 in 5 mg Al+GE group; and 291.35 98.38 in 10 mg Al+GE group respectively. Al exposure produced a significant increase in cortical GABA levels. Gastrodia elata reduced learning and memory deficits without affecting brain Al levels. CONCLUSIONS: Rats exposed to AlCl_{3} suffer from deficits in learning and memory, accompanied by increases in GABA levels in the neocortex. Gastrodia elata is effective in improving memory functions and normalizing GABA levels.

Genomic diversity and phylogeography of norovirus in China.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the phylogeography of norovirus (NoV) in China. In norovirus, a clear understanding for the characteristics of tree topology, migration patterns and its demographic dynamics in viral circulation are needed to identify its prevalence trends, which can help us better prepare for its epidemics as well as develop useful control strategies. The aim of this study was to explore the genetic diversity, temporal distribution, demographic dynamics and migration patterns of NoV that circulated in China. RESULTS: Our analysis showed that two major genogroups, GI and GII, were identified in China, in which GII.3, GII.4 and GII.17 accounted for the majority with a total proportion around 70%. Our demography inference suggested that during the long-term migration process, NoV evolved into multiple lineages and then experienced a selective sweep, which reduced its genetic diversity. The phylogeography results suggested that the norovirus may have originated form the South China (Hong Kong and Guangdong), followed by multicenter direction outbreaks across the country. CONCLUSIONS: From these analyses, we indicate that domestic poultry trade and frequent communications of people from different regions have all contributed to the spread of the NoV in China. Together with recent advances in phylogeographic inference, our researches also provide powerful illustrations of how coalescent-based methods can extract adequate information in molecular epidemiology.

Variation analysis of norovirus among children with diarrhea in rural Hebei Province, north of China.

To understand the distribution of genotyping, as well as evolution of norovirus circulating among children<5yrs., a population-based diarrhea surveillance targeted children<5yrs. was conducted in rural Zhengding County, Hebei Province, China between October 2011 and March 2012. RT-PCR was used to amplify the capsid-encoding region of GI and GII norovirus to identify norovirus infection. All PCR products were sequenced and analyzed for genotyping and constructing phylogenetic tree. Dynamic distribution network was constructed by TempNet to illustrate the genetic relationships at two different time points. Bayesian evolutionary inference techniques were applied by BEAST software to study the norovirus evolution rate. During the 6-month surveillance period, 1091 episodes of diarrhea were reported from 5633 children under 5years of age lived in catchment area. 115 of 1091 stool specimens were detected as norovirus positive (10.54%). Five genotypes based on capsid gene sequences were identified, including GII.2 (11), GII.3 (52), GII.4 (47), GII.6 (4) and GII.7 (1). An identical haplotype of GII.4 circulated between 2006 and 2011 in Hebei Province. A mean rate of 6.29×10-2 nucleotide substitutions/site/year (s/s/y) was obtained for GII.3 viruses in Hebei, while the GII.4 viruses evolved at a mean rate of 3.67×10-2s/s/y. In conclusions, GII.3 (45.22%) and GII. 4(40.87%) are the predominant strain in Hebei Province in the winter season of 2011 and 2012. Different from the current consensus, our study shows that GII.3 noroviruses in Hebei Province evolved at a faster rate than GII.4 viruses.

Temporal Evolutionary Dynamics of Norovirus GII.4 Variants in China between 2004 and 2015.

BACKGROUND: Noroviruses are one of the major causes of acute human nonbacterial gastroenteritis, and genotype II.4 (GII.4) has accounted for the majority of adult outbreaks. In addition, novel epidemic strain emerges every 2 to 3 years and spreads globally in months. There are little data reporting the evolutionary dynamics of GII.4 variants along a specific period in China. METHODS: All norovirus GII.4 sequences in China were downloaded from GenBank Database. Phylogenetic tree was constructed by MEGA and Bayesian evolutionary inference techniques were applied by BEAST software to study the genetic relationships, evolution rate, evolutionary time scale and the demographic history of GII.4 variants. Homology models were predicted by SWISS-MODEL to analyze the spatial structure changes. RESULTS: During the 12-year period, 624 GII.4 sequences were subtyped into six GII.4 variants (clusters). A rate of 4.74×10-3, 6.99×10-3 and 7.68×10-3 nucleotide substitutions/site/year for the strict, uncorrelated log-normal and uncorrelated exponential derivation clocks were estimated, respectively. Three amino acid mutations (G255S, S393G and H414P) in both Den Haag_2006b sub-clusters and six mutations (I244T, N309S, A377T, T244I, T377A and S393G) in three Sydney_2012 sub-clusters were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The temporal distribution pattern of noroviruses GII.4 lineages in China was similar to the worldwide observation. The evolutionary rate of GII.4 was consistent with the global studies. Amino acid changes in the vicinity of norovirus epitope may have profound influences on carbohydrate binding affinity between different sub-clusters of norovirus variants. Hence understanding the evolutionary dynamics of norovirus is of great value for developing effective prevention and control strategies.

Inhibitory effects of cadmium on peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferation and cytokine release are reversed by zinc and selenium salts.

Zinc (Zn) and selenium (Se) exert regulatory activities on immune functions, while cadmium (Cd) is an immunotoxic agent. The object of this study was to detect effects of 10(-4), 10(-5), and 10(-6) M Cd sulphate, Zn sulphate, and sodium selenite, and their combinations on human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation and IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha production. Only 10(-5) M Zn sulphate significantly enhanced spontaneous PBMC proliferation, which was unaffected by the other salts. At 10(-4) and 10(-5) M, Cd sulphate exerted a dose-response inhibitory action on phytohemagglutinin- (PHA-) stimulated PBMC proliferation and cytokine release, while 10(-4) M and 10(-5) M Zn sulphate and 10(-5) M sodium selenite induced a stimulatory effect on both proliferation and cytokine release; 10(-4) M sodium selenite enhanced only the PBMC proliferation; at 10(-6) M, none of the salts changed the PHA-stimulated immune activity. Moreover, 10(-4) and 10(-5) M Zn and 10(-5) M Se strongly upregulated IFN-gamma (a Th1 cytokine) release, even in presence of 10(-5) M Cd, and reduced the inhibitory effects of Cd on PBMC proliferation and TNF-alpha release. This study confirms that Zn and Se both strongly enhance cytokine release induced by mitogenic stimulation, showing also that Zn acts with a broader range of concentrations than Se. This suggests that dietary excess of Se may not have beneficial effects.

Aluminum and benzo[a]pyrene co-operate to induce neuronal apoptosis in vitro.

Toxic and harmful factors co-exist in the environment; these factors often interact to induce combined toxicity, which is the main focus of toxicological research. Furthermore, a large number of studies have shown that aluminum (Al) and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) are neurotoxic and target the central nervous system to cause neuronal apoptosis. Because we are exposed to both Al and BaP in the air, water, food, and even medicine, the combined effects of these agents in humans must be examined. The present study examines the ability of Al and BaP co-exposure to intensify neuronal apoptosis. The primary neurons of newborn rats were cultured for 5 days, and cells from the same batch that were growing well were selected and assigned to the blank control group, the solvent control group (DMSO+S9+maltol), BaP groups (10, 40 µmol/L), Al (mal)3 groups (50, 100, 400 µmol/L) and co-exposure groups with different combinations of BaP and Al (mal)3. The cell viabilities indicated that 10 µM BaP or 50 µM Al (mal)3 was mildly toxic, and we selected 10 µM BaP+50 µM Al (mal)3 for subsequent co-exposure experiments. The morphological characteristics of cell apoptosis were much more obvious in the co-exposure group than in the Al-exposed cells or the BaP-exposed cells, as observed with a transmission electron microscope and a fluorescence inverted microscope. The apoptotic rates and caspase-3 activity quantitatively significantly differed between the co-exposure and Al-exposure groups, while the BaP-exposure group did not significantly differ from the control group. These results indicate that Al and BaP co-exposure exert synergistic effects on neuronal cell apoptosis.

In vitro effects of vanadate on human immune functions.

Vanadium (V) is an element with wide industrial applications and environmental release. The object of this study was to determine the in vitro effects of high (10(-4) M) and low (10(-7) M) concentrations of sodium metavanadate (NaVO3) on cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation, cytokine release, CD expression, and granulocyte O2- production. At 10(-4) and 10(-7) M, NaVO3 did not modify PBMC proliferation in the absence of phytohemagglutinin (PHA). On the other hand, 10(-4) M NaVO3 reduced by -25% the PBMC proliferation in PHA-stimulated cultures, with a significant reduction of the stimulation index (SI) of blastogenesis. Moreover, 10(-4 M NaVO3 significantly reduced the release of IFN-gamma by PHA-stimulated PBMCs, and 10(-7) M NaVO3 significantly enhanced the release of TNF-alpha. In addition, IL-5 release was significantly inhibited by high concentration of sodium metavanadate and significantly enhanced by low concentration of NaVO3. Neither 10(-4) nor 10(-7) M NaVO3 modified the expression of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, or CD56+ in PHA-stimulated and unstimulated lymphocytes. Finally, 10(-4) M NaVO3 reduced the granulocyte production of O2- by about 70%, while 10(-7) vanadate reduced its production to a lesser extent. These results show that 10(-4) M NaVO3 exerts inhibitory effects on PBMCs, while at 10(-7) M it exerts a stimulatory action with a slight shift of the immune response towards a Th2-type response. This investigation suggests that environmental V can have important effects on the human immune system.