Exosome from chaperone-rich cell lysates-loaded dendritic cells produced by CELLine 1000 culture system exhibits potent immune activity.

Dendritic cells (DCs) pulsed with exosomes can stimulate efficient cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses and anti-tumor immunity. However, the quantity of DC-derived exosomes (DCex) obtained from various culture systems is very low, which is a significant practical issue hampering progress in this research area and needs to be addressed. Gliomas were particularly aggressive, with high morbidity and mortality, indicating that this is a form of incurable highly malignant tumor of the brain with poor prognosis. In the present study, we demonstrate that the CELLine 1000 culture system can dramatically increase the production of DCex. The morphology, phenotype and immune molecules of these DCex were found to be identical to those using traditional methods. Our researches supply a cost-effective, useful method for significantly increasing the quantity of exosomes. In addition, GL261 glioma cells were chosen to separate chaperone-rich cell lysates (CRCL). The results indicate that CRCL-GL261 cell lysates can trigger the most intense expression of immune molecules on DCex or DCs, which has important implications for the research into tumor treatment and diagnosis.

Diagnosis of Patent Foramen Ovale: The Combination of Contrast Transcranial Doppler, Contrast Transthoracic Echocardiography, and Contrast Transesophageal Echocardiography.

OBJECTIVES: To access the distinct values of contrast transcranial Doppler (cTCD), contrast transthoracic echocardiography (cTTE), and contrast transesophageal echocardiography (cTEE) in the diagnosis of right-to-left shunt (RLS) due to patent foramen ovale (PFO) and to define the most practical strategy for the diagnosis of PFO. METHODS: 102 patients with a high clinical suspicion for PFO had simultaneous cTCD, cTTE, and cTEE performed. The agitated saline mixed with blood was used to detect right-to-left shunt (RLS). RESULTS: In all 102 patients, the shunt was detected at rest by cTCD in 60.78% of cases, by cTTE in 42.16%, and by cTEE in 47.06%. The positive results of all 3 techniques with Valsalva maneuver (VM) were significantly improved. cTCD showed higher pick-up rate than cTTE (98.04% vs. 89.22%; χ 2 = 12.452, p < 0.05) and the cTEE (98.04% vs. 96.08%; nonsignificant difference) in the diagnosis of PFO. Nevertheless, cTEE, compared with cTTE, underestimated shunting in 44% of patients. The diameter of both PFO entrance and exit was significantly greater in patients with a severe shunt compared with a mild shunt (2.8 ± 1.0 mm vs. 2.0 ± 0.7 mm, t = 3.135, p < 0.05) and the cTEE (98.04% vs. 96.08%; nonsignificant difference) in the diagnosis of PFO. Nevertheless, cTEE, compared with cTTE, underestimated shunting in 44% of patients. The diameter of both PFO entrance and exit was significantly greater in patients with a severe shunt compared with a mild shunt (2.8 ± 1.0 mm vs. 2.0 ± 0.7 mm, t = 3.135, p < 0.05) and the cTEE (98.04% vs. 96.08%; nonsignificant difference) in the diagnosis of PFO. Nevertheless, cTEE, compared with cTTE, underestimated shunting in 44% of patients. The diameter of both PFO entrance and exit was significantly greater in patients with a severe shunt compared with a mild shunt (2.8 ± 1.0 mm vs. 2.0 ± 0.7 mm, t = 3.135, p < 0.05) and the cTEE (98.04% vs. 96.08%; nonsignificant difference) in the diagnosis of PFO. Nevertheless, cTEE, compared with cTTE, underestimated shunting in 44% of patients. The diameter of both PFO entrance and exit was significantly greater in patients with a severe shunt compared with a mild shunt (2.8 ± 1.0 mm vs. 2.0 ± 0.7 mm. CONCLUSIONS: The best method to diagnose PFO should be the combination of cTCD, cTTE, and cTEE. And cTCD should be applied as the first choice for screening RLS. Then, cTTE should be performed to quantify the severity of the shunt. Last but not least, cTEE should be performed to assess the morphologies of PFO when the closure is planned. The study provides for clinicians the most practical strategy for diagnosing PFO in the future. However, further trials with a large sample size are required to confirm this finding.

Different Valsalva Manoeuvre Procedures for the Diagnosis of Right-to-Left Shunt by Contrast-Transcranial Doppler.

The main purpose of this study was to compare two contrast agent injection times during the Valsalva manoeuvre (VM) for the diagnosis of right-to-left shunt using contrast-transcranial Doppler (c-TCD). In total, 992 consecutive patients underwent testing. All patients underwent step 1, and then a coin toss was used to determine the order of steps 2 and 3. The following testing steps were repeated twice: (1) a contrast agent (CA) was infused at rest (CA at rest testing); (2) the VM was initiated immediately after CA injection and released 10 s after CA injection (CA pre-VM testing); and (3) a CA was injected 5 s after initiating the VM, which was released 5 s after CA injection (CA mid-VM testing). For the CA at rest, pre-VM and mid-VM groups, significant differences were observed in the positive right-to-left shunt diagnosis rates (11.49% vs. 23.08% vs. 26.11%, respectively, with an inter-group significance of p < 0.05) and grade classifications (p < 0.05). Although the times to first microbubble appearance were similar between the CA at rest and the CA pre-VM groups (8.96 ± 3.40 s vs. 8.42 ± 3.72 s, p > 0.05), it was shorter (6.4 ± 2.75 s, p < 0.05) for the CA mid-VM group than for the other two groups. For the c-TCD testing, the CA mid-VM group yielded different results for diagnosing right-to-left shunts relative to the CA pre-VM group.

[Comparison of two contrast agents for diagnosis of patent foramen ovale by contrast transcranial Doppler].

OBJECTIVE: To compare agitated saline solution (AS) and the mixture of AS with blood (ASb) as the contrast agents in contrast transcranial Doppler (c-TCD) in the diagnosis of patent foramen ovale (PFO). METHODS: We recruited 248 consecutive patients for c-TCD examination between November 2015 and January 2016, and the sequence of the use of AS (9 mL saline solution mixed with 1 mL air) and ASb (9 mL saline solution and a drop of the patient's blood mixed with 1 mL air) was determined by coin-tossing method. Before the examination, the contrast agent was injected with or without Valsalva maneuvers (VM), and the number of microbubbles within 25 s after the contrast agent injection and the time of first appearance of microbubbles were recorded by observing the TCD spectrum. Each injection was repeated twice and the interval between tests was at least 5 min. We classified PFO according to the number of microbubbles into negative (no microbubble), grade I (1-10 microbubbles), grade II (>10 microbubbles but no curtain), and grade III (with curtain). RESULTS: s The positivity rates in diagnosis with AS without VM, AS with VM, ASb without VM, and ASb with VM tests were 10.9%, 23.8%, 12.1% and 25.8%, respectively. AS with VM test had a higher positive rate than AS without VM test (23.8% vs 10.9%, P=0.001), and ASb with VM test had a higher positive rate than ASb without VM test (25.8% vs 12.1%, P=0.001). The positive rates were similar between ASb without VM and AS without VM test (12.1% vs 10.9%, P=0.250) and between ASb with VM test and AS with VM test (25.8% vs 23.8%, P=0.125). CONCLUSION: VM can improve the positive rate of PFO diagnosis in c-TCD examination, and the positive rates are comparable between examinations using the contrast agents AS and ASb.

A Comparison of Transthroracic Echocardiograpy and Transcranial Doppler With Contrast Agent for Detection of Patent Foramen Ovale With or Without the Valsalva Maneuver.

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a remnant of the fetal circulation exist in 20% of the general population. The purpose of our study was to compare of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and contrast-transcranial Doppler sonography (c-TCD) in the diagnosis and quantification of PFO with or without the Valsalva maneuver (VM).We studied 106 patients with a high clinical suspicion for PFO prospectively. Simultaneous c-TCD and TTE were conducted using agitated saline solution to detect right to left shunt (RLS). To classify RLS, mainly PFO, we applied a 4-level visual classification for c-TCD test: no occurrence of micro-embolic signals; grade I, 1 to 10 signals; grade II, 10 to 30 signals but not curtain; and grade III, curtain pattern. We used the number of micro-bubbles appeared in left atrium per frame image to define classification for TTE test: no occurrence of micro-bubbles; grade I, 1 to 10 micro-bubbles; grade II, 10 to 30 micro-bubbles; and grade III, more than 30 micro-bubbles or left atrium nearly filled with micro-bubbles or left atrial opacity. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS Version 18.0.RLS was detected in 36.0% in c-TCD test and in 46% in TTE test at rest (P = 0.158). And during the VM, RLS was detected in 99.0% in c-TCD test and in 83.0% in TTE test (P < 0.001). Compared with the positive results of c-TCD and TTE at rest, the positive results of them with VM is more higher, respectively (all P < 0.001). The VM obviously increased the number of micro-bubbles shunting.Both c-TCD and TTE should used as initial screening tool for PFO. VM increases the size of shunt. VM resulted in detection of more RLS both in c-TCD and TTE tests.