[Efficiency of CNV-seq in detecting fetal DMD gene deletion or duplication in prenatal diagnosis].

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of copy number variation sequencing (CNV-seq) to detect the deletion or duplication of DMD gene in prenatal diagnosis. Methods: A retrospective analysis was carried out on the CNV-seq results of 34 544 fetuses diagnosed in the First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province from January 2018 to July 2023. A total of 156 cases of fetuses were collected, including Group 1:125 cases with family history of Duchenne muscular dystrophy or Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD/BMD), and Group 2:31 cases with no family history but a DMD gene deletion or duplication was detected unexpectedly by CNV-seq. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) was used as a standard method to detect the deletion or duplication. Consistency test was carried out basing on the results of CNV-seq and MLPA of all 156 cases. Results: Comparing to MLPA, CNV-seq had a coincidence rate of 92.3% (144/156) for DMD gene deletion or duplication, with a sensitivity and positive predictive value of 88.2%, with a specificity and negative predictive value of 94.3%, a missed detection rate of 3.8%, and a Kappa value of 0.839. CNV-seq missed 4 cases with deletions and 2 with duplications due to involved fragments less than 100 Kb, among 20 cases of deletions and 6 cases of duplications detected by MLPA in Group 1. In Group 2, the deletions and duplications detected by CNV-seq were 42% (13/31) and 58% (18/31), respectively, in which the percentage of duplication was higher than that in Group 1. Among those 18 cases with duplications, 3 cases with duplication locating in exon 42~67 were likely pathogenic; while 9 cases with duplication covering the 5' or 3' end of the DMD gene, containing exon 1 or 79 and with only one breakpoint within the gene, along with the last 6 cases with duplications locating at chrX: 32650635_32910000 detected only by CNV-seq, which might be judged as variants of uncertain significance. Conclusions: CNV-seq has a good efficiency to detect fetal DMD gene deletion or duplication in prenatal diagnosis, while a further verification test by MLPA is recommended. The duplications on chrX: 32650635_32910000, 5' or 3' end of DMD gene detected by CNV-seq should be carefully verified and assessed because those variants appear to be nonpathogenic polymorphisms.

Conformation changes of albumin and lysozyme on electrospun TiO2 nanofibers and its effects on MSC behaviors.

Protein adsorption plays a key role in bone repair and regeneration by affecting cell behavior. In this study, TiO2 nanofibers (TiO2 NFs) with different structures, including anatase TiO2 nanofibers (A-NFs), anatase TiO2 nanofibers with beads (B-NFs), anatase-rutile TiO2 nanofibers (AR-NFs) and rutile TiO2 nanofibers (R-NFs), were prepared by electrospinning method. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme (LYZ) were used to explore the adsorption behaviors of TiO2 NFs and then the effects of materials with protein on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were studied. Pure titanium metal (PT) was used as control. The results displayed that the adsorption amounts of BSA on samples were B-NFs > AR-NFs > A-NFs ≈ R-NFs > PT, and that for LYZ were B-NFs > AR-NFs > R-NFs > A-NFs > PT. The conformation of proteins changed remarkably when they were adsorbed on meterials. Soaking the TiO2 NFs with and without protein into SBF revealed that the BSA and LYZ on B-NFs, A-NFs and AR-NFs could accelerate the HA deposition on its surface, but it had no promoting effect on HA deposition on B-NFs. MTT and PCR tests showed that the BSA and LYZ adsorbed on materials could promote the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of MSCs to different degrees due to their different adsorption amount and conformation changes on different TiO2 NFs. The current work demonstrated that the surface properties and crystal structure of TiO2 NFs could influence the adsorption behavior and conformational change of BSA and LYZ, and then further regulate MSCs biological behavior.

[Appllication of human acellular dermal matrix in surgical treatment of genitourinary disease].

Humanacellular dermal matrix (HADM) is widely used in the field of burn wound repair and tissue engineering plastic surgery. HADM is manufactored by physical and chemical decellular process to remove the antigenic components that might cause immune rejection in dermis.The extracellular matrix of three-dimensional cell scaffold structure with collagen fibers had been used for wound repair and tissue regeneration, while HADM characterized with low absorption rate after implantation and strong ability to induce angiogenesis in host tissue. Studies reported that after the HADM was implanted into the patient, the host cells, such as fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, as well as lymphocytes, macrophages, granulocytes and mast cells, rapidly infiltrated the graft. The connective tissue and neovascularization were then formed within the HADM three-dimensional cell scaffold, the lymphatic system also appears after vascular reconstruction. Traditional urethral reconstruction using autologous skin flaps has some defects, such as complexity of the technology, risk of necrosis of the skin flaps after transplantation, and failure to achieve functional repair of the urethral epithelium. It has been reported that using HADM to reconstruct the urethra in patients with urethral stricture, hypospadias and bladder-vaginal fistula, showed promising results. Others have reported the experience of using HADM to repair and reconstruct congenital classic bladder exstrophy. HADM has also been used for tissue repair in patients with penile skin defect caused by Fonier's gangrene and hidradenitis suppurativa, and implanted under Bucks' fascia to enlarge the penis. The report of HADM implantation for treating premature ejaculation also deserves attention. Researchers found that HADM implantation can form a tissue barrier between the skin and corpus cavernosum, which can effectively reduce penile sensitivity and treat premature ejaculation. The safety and effectiveness of HADM implantation in the treatment of premature ejaculation need to be further standardized by data from multi-center, large-sample clinical studies. In summary, HADM is the extracellular matrix and three-dimensional cell scaffold of human dermis. As a new type of tissue repair material, new blood vessels are formed actively after implantation, which shows good histocompatibility. HADM has shown increasingly broad application prospects in treatment of genitourinary diseases including penis, urethra and bladder diseases. HADM has also been used in the treatment of premature ejaculation in recent clinical studies, and its long-term safety and efficacy need to be further investigated.

[The effect of birth ball on the outcome of COOK balloon induction].

Objective: To investigate the effect of birth ball on the outcome of COOK balloon induction. Methods: A total of 580 patients were hospitalized in the obstetrics department of Jiaxing Maternal and Child Health Hospital from May 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017. According to the patient's wishes, 290 cases of cervical ripening with birth ball combined with COOK balloon were taken as experimental group, and 290 cases of cervical ripening group with COOK balloon were set as control group. Bishop score improvement, labor time, cesarean section rate, delivery forceps rate, postpartum hemorrhage, and neonatal scores were compared between the two groups of patients. Results: (1)There was no significant difference in the ag, Body Mass Index (BMI), education background, registered residence and gravidity between the two groups (P>0.05). (2)There was no significant difference in Bishop score improvement between the two groups (P>0.05). (3)The labor time in the experimental group (8.4 h±1.5 h)was significantly shorter than that in the control group (10.6 h±2.7 h). The differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The cesarean section rate (11.03% vs 15.17%), forceps delivery rate (5.52% vs 8.28%), and postpartum hemorrhage (308 ml±9 ml vs 367 ml±16 ml) were significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group. The differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: The application of the birth ball in the induction of the COOK balloon can shorten the labor time, reduce the cesarean section rate and the forceps delivery rate, and reduce the postpartum hemorrhage, which has certain clinical application value.

Synergistic effects of fibronectin and bone morphogenetic protein on the bioactivity of titanium metal.

To improve the biological properties of bioactive titanium metal, recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2(rhBMP-2) and fibronectin (Fn) were adsorbed on its surface solely or contiguously to modify the anodic oxidized titanium (AO-Ti), acid-alkali-treated titanium (AA-Ti), and polished titanium (P-Ti). It is found that the different bioactive titanium surface structures had great influence on protein adsorption. The adsorption amounts of BMP adsorbed solely and Fn/BMP adsorbed contiguously were AA-Ti > P-Ti > AO-Ti, and that for Fn adsorbed solely was AA-Ti ≈ P-Ti > AO-Ti. The conformation of proteins was changed remarkably after the adsorption. For BMP, the α-helix decreased on AA-Ti and stabilized on P-Ti and AO-Ti. For Fn, the ß-sheet on PT-Ti and AA-Ti increased significantly. For Fn/BMP, the percentage of ß-sheet on AA-Ti increased, and that of α-helix on all samples was stable. MSCs showed greater adhesion and spreading on Fn/BMP groups. MTT and Elisa tests showed that the synergistic effects of proteins made the cells proliferate and differentiate faster. It indicated both the surface structure and the synergistic effects of proteins could influence the biological properties of titanium metals. It provides research foundation for improving the biological properties of bioactive titanium metals by simultaneous application of several proteins. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 2485-2498, 2017.

Classical Fractals and Quantum Chaos in Ultracold Dipolar Collisions.

We examine a dipolar-gas model to address fundamental issues regarding the correspondence between classical chaos and quantum observations in ultracold dipolar collisions. The theoretical model consists of a short-range Lennard-Jones potential well with an anisotropic, long-range dipole-dipole interaction between two atoms. Both the classical and quantum dynamics are explored for the same Hamiltonian of the system. The classical chaotic scattering is revealed by the fractals developed in the scattering function (defined as the final atom separation as a function of initial conditions), while the quantum chaotic features lead to the repulsion of the eigenphases from the corresponding quantum S matrix. The nearest-eigenphase-spacing statistics have an intermediate behavior between the Poisson and the Wigner-Dyson distributions. The character of the distribution can be controlled by changing an effective Planck constant or the dipole moment. The degree of quantum chaos shows a good correspondence with the overall average of the classical scattering function. The results presented here also provide helpful insights for understanding the role of the inherent dipole-dipole interaction in the currently ongoing experiments on ultracold collisions of highly magnetic atoms.

Expression of IncRNA UCA1 in ovarian cancer and its clinical significance.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the expression and clinical significance of IncRNA-UCA1 in ovarian cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The ex- pression of IncRNA-UCA1 in 26 ovarian cancer tissue and 16 normal and benign ovarian tissue were detected using qRT-PCR method, and the correlation of expression level with clinicopathological features were analyzed. RESULTS: Higher lncRNA-UCA1 expression level were detected in ovarian cancer tissue than those in normal ovarian tissue (p < 0.05). There were significant correlations between higher expression of IncRNA-UCA1 with tumor staging (p = 0.000), histological grades (p = 0.000), peritoneal effusion (p = 0.001), and lymph node metastasis (p = 0.000), but not with age. CONCLUSION: IncRNA-UCA1 may play a vital role in the metastasis of ovarian cancer and it is expected to be a potential novel biomarker and therapeutic target of ovarian cancer.

Bio-functionalization of biomedical metals.

Bio-functionalization means to endow biomaterials with bio-functions so as to make the materials or devices more suitable for biomedical applications. Traditionally, because of the excellent mechanical properties, the biomedical metals have been widely used in clinic. However, the utilized functions are basically supporting or fixation especially for the implantable devices. Nowadays, some new functions, including bioactivity, anti-tumor, anti-microbial, and so on, are introduced to biomedical metals. To realize those bio-functions on the metallic biomedical materials, surface modification is the most commonly used method. Surface modification, including physical and chemical methods, is an effective way to alter the surface morphology and composition of biomaterials. It can endow the biomedical metals with new surface properties while still retain the good mechanical properties of the bulk material. Having analyzed the ways of realizing the bio-functionalization, this article briefly summarized the bio-functionalization concepts of six hot spots in this field. They are bioactivity, bony tissue inducing, anti-microbial, anti-tumor, anticoagulation, and drug loading functions.

Identification of lactoferrin and glutamate receptor-interacting protein 1 in bovine cervical mucus: A putative marker for oestrous detection.

Accurate detection of oestrus is important for artificial insemination. The aim of this study was to identify oestrous-specific bovine cervical mucus proteins that could be used to determine the optimal time for artificial insemination. Non-oestrous and controlled internal drug release (CIDR)-induced oestrous-stage mucus proteins were purified and subjected to surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF/TOF. Among differentially expressed proteins, lactoferrin (LF) and glutamate receptor-interacting protein 1 (GRIP1) showed a twofold increase during the CIDR-induced oestrous stage compared to the levels in non-oestrous stage in bovine cervical mucus. The RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry results showed that LF and GRIP1 expression was significantly increased during the oestrous stage in the uterus. This study demonstrated that bovine LF and GRIP1 exist during the oestrous stage, but not during the non-oestrous stage, suggesting that cervical mucus LF and GRIP1 are useful oestrous detection markers in cattle.

[Feasibility study of transplantation of penile corpus cavernosum and major pelvic ganglion in renal subserous region].

OBJECTIVE: To study the feasibility of transplantation of normal rat penile corpus cavernosum and major pelvic ganglion (MPG) into the renal subserous region of a Nu/Nu mouse based on allograft technology. METHODS: Penile corpus cavernosum and MPG, harvested from Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats under sterile condition, were transplanted underneath the kidney capsule of Nu/Nu mice through the microsurgery instruments and surgery microscope. The histopathologic changes and cellular proliferation in the transplanted penile corpus cavernosum and MPG were then analyzed at the end of 1week and 4 weeks after transplantation. Histological staining and immunohistochemical staining were used to evaluate the main outcome measures. RESULTS: After 1 week, the tissue morphology of the transplanted corpus cavernosum underneath the kidney capsule of Nu/Nu mice was consistent with normal penile corpus cavernosum, and blood could be observed in the penis cavernous sinus of the graft; after 4 weeks, the mophorlogy of the tranplanted corpus cavernosum near the kidney was consistent with normal penile corpus cavernosum, while fibrosis was noteworthy in the graft away from the kidney, but blood could still be seen in the penis cavernous sinus. After 1 week, the tissue morphology of the transplanted MPG was consistent with normal MPG, multiple islet-like cell clusters could be seen in the transplanted MPG in the renal subserous region, and angiogenesis could be observed near the kidney; after 4 weeks, a network of blood vessels was clearly visible away from the kidney, and islet-like cell clusters were still clearly observed in the transplanted MPG. In addition, ki67 positive cells were observed in the transplanted penile corpus cavernosum and MPG after 4 weeks of transplantation, which indicated that there was still cell proliferation activity in the grafts. CONCLUSION: The transplanted corpus cavernosum and MPG underneath the kidney capsule of Nu/Nu mice could survive at least 4 weeks. Moreover, the inner structure of the transplanted corpus cavernosum and MPG was close to the normal tissue. The underlining mechanism may be related to the local microenvironment underneath the kidney capsule of Nu/Nu mice and the neovascularization in the transplanted grafts.

[Prenatal diagnosis of chromosome abnormalities and nine microdeletion syndromes using both traditional karyotyping and BoBs].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a new prenatal diagnosis model of chromosomal abnormalities and nine microdeletion syndromes by using both traditional karyotyping and a newly-developed rapid prenatal diagnosis technology, BACs-on-Beads (BoBs) technique. METHODS: From June 2012 to December 2014, 807 pregnant women with high risk after screening or with other indicators, were performed amniocentesis. Traditional karyotyping and BoBs were employed simultaneously for prenatal diagnosis. RESULTS: Thirty-two cases with chromosome aneupoidies were successfully detected both by BoBs and karyotyping, including 18 cases of trisomy 21, 6 cases of trisomy 18, 1 case of trisomy 13, and 7 cases with sex chromosome abnormality. All 8 fetuses with chromosome structural abnormalities detected by karyotyping were missed by BoBs; while BoBs contributed more in detection of five microdeletion syndrome cases, including 3 cases of DiGeorge syndromes (two with microduplication and one with microdeletion), one case of Miller-Dieker syndrome, and one case of Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome. CONCLUSION: Combined use of traditional karyotyping and BoBs, is a rapid and effective prenatal diagnosis model that may enlarge our horizon on chromosomal diseases and should be widely used in future clinical service.

[Feasibility study of transplantation of penile corpus cavernosum and major pelvic ganglion in renal subserous region].

OBJECTIVE: To study the feasibility of transplantation of normal rat penile corpus cavernosum and major pelvic ganglion (MPG) into the renal subserous region of a Nu/Nu mouse based on allograft technology. METHODS: Penile corpus cavernosum and MPG, harvested from Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats under sterile condition, were transplanted underneath the kidney capsule of Nu/Nu mice through the microsurgery instruments and surgery microscope. The histopathologic changes and cellular proliferation in the transplanted penile corpus cavernosum and MPG were then analyzed at the end of 1week and 4 weeks after transplantation. Histological staining and immunohistochemical staining were used to evaluate the main outcome measures. RESULTS: After 1 week, the tissue morphology of the transplanted corpus cavernosum underneath the kidney capsule of Nu/Nu mice was consistent with normal penile corpus cavernosum, and blood could be observed in the penis cavernous sinus of the graft; after 4 weeks, the mophorlogy of the tranplanted corpus cavernosum near the kidney was consistent with normal penile corpus cavernosum, while fibrosis was noteworthy in the graft away from the kidney, but blood could still be seen in the penis cavernous sinus. After 1 week, the tissue morphology of the transplanted MPG was consistent with normal MPG, multiple islet-like cell clusters could be seen in the transplanted MPG in the renal subserous region, and angiogenesis could be observed near the kidney; after 4 weeks, a network of blood vessels was clearly visible away from the kidney, and islet-like cell clusters were still clearly observed in the transplanted MPG. In addition, ki67 positive cells were observed in the transplanted penile corpus cavernosum and MPG after 4 weeks of transplantation, which indicated that there was still cell proliferation activity in the grafts. CONCLUSION: The transplanted corpus cavernosum and MPG underneath the kidney capsule of Nu/Nu mice could survive at least 4 weeks. Moreover, the inner structure of the transplanted corpus cavernosum and MPG was close to the normal tissue. The underlining mechanism may be related to the local microenvironment underneath the kidney capsule of Nu/Nu mice and the neovascularization in the transplanted grafts.

Conformation change of bovine serum albumin induced by bioactive titanium metals and its effects on cell behaviors.

The conformation change of bovine serum albumin (BSA) induced by bioactive titanium surfaces, including acid-alkali-treated titanium (AA-Ti) and alkali-heat-treated titanium (AH-Ti), was studied, and its effects on the activity of MC3T3-E1 cell were evaluated. Pure titanium metal (P-Ti) was used as control. The AA-Ti could adsorb more BSA on its surface than AH-Ti and P-Ti. The α-helix part of the protein adsorbed on P-Ti has weakly decreased compared with native BSA, and it dramatically decreased on AA-Ti and AH-Ti. The ß-sheet segment of proteins adsorbed on P-Ti and AH-Ti had obviously increased. Much more tryptophan residues were exposed after the protein conformation changed when it interacted with AH-Ti, and some tryptophan residues were enveloped after it interacted with AA-Ti and P-Ti. AA-Ti has more tryptophan residues enveloped than P-Ti. All titanium surfaces induced tyrosine residues exposed, especially for the P-Ti. The higher ratio of COO(-)/NH3(+) for the proteins on P-Ti and AA-Ti indicated an orientation of proteins on P-Ti and AA-Ti, which makes more COO(-) exposed. The lower ratio of COO(-)/NH3(+) on AH-Ti indicates that more NH3(+) is exposed on its surface. The cell proliferation ability on different treated titanium surfaces coated with BSA followed by the order: P-Ti > AA-Ti > AH-Ti, which indicated that the protein conformation change on different bioactive titanium surfaces has great effect on the cell activity. Our results showed that the different biological response of bioactive titanium metals might depend on the protein conformation change induced by the surface structure.

A novel MICA allele, MICA*069, identified by sequence-based typing in a Chinese individual.

MICA*069 differs from MICA*010:01 by one nucleotide at position 1118 within exon 6.

Bioactive TiO2 fiber films prepared by electrospinning method.

Electrospining method was used to prepare bioactive TiO(2) fibers films in this study. The acetic acid/ethanol/tetrabutyl titanate/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) solvent system was used as precursor for the electrospining. The TiO(2) fiber structures (including its fiber diameter, morphology, and phase composition) could be controlled by changing feeding rate, PVP concentration and sinter temperature. The fiber films were subjected to simulated body fluid soaking experiments and MG63 cells culture experiments to study their bioactivity. According to the X-ray diffraction and MTT assay results, the fiber containing with anatase showed better apatite formation ability than that without anatase at the early stage, while cell proliferated on anatase-rutile TiO(2) fiber was better than that on other samples (p < 0.05).Some string beads in the fiber were beneficial for apatite formation, while the cell proliferated best on the fiber film without string beads (p < 0.05). The fiber with a diameter of 200 nm had the best apatite formation ability and osteoblast compatibility (p < 0.05). The results showed that the TiO(2) fiber film structure had great influence on its bioactivity. It indicated that the electronspining method is an effective way to prepare bioactive titania fiber films, and it is possible to control the structure of the films in the spinning process to optimize the bioactivity of TiO(2) fiber.

Protein Profile in Corpus Luteum during Pregnancy in Korean Native Cows.

Steroidogenesis requires coordination of the anabolic and catabolic pathways of lipid metabolism, but the profile of proteins associated with progesterone synthesis in cyclic and pregnant corpus luteum (CL) is not well-known in cattle. In Experiment 1, plasma progesterone level was monitored in cyclic cows (n = 5) and pregnant cows (n = 6; until d-90). A significant decline in the plasma progesterone level occurred at d-19 of cyclic cows. Progesterone level in abbatoir-derived luteal tissues was also determined at d 1 to 5, 6 to 13 and 14 to 20 of cyclic cows, and d-60 and -90 of pregnant cows (n = 5 each). Progesterone level in d-60 CL was not different from those in d 6 to 13 CL and d-90 CL, although the difference between d 6 to 13 and d-90 was significant. In Experiment 2, protein expression pattern in CL at d-90 (n = 4) was compared with that in CL of cyclic cows at d 6 to 13 (n = 5). Significant changes in the level of protein expression were detected in 32 protein spots by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE), and 23 of them were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Six proteins were found only in pregnant CL, while the other 17 proteins were found only in cyclic CL. Among the above 6 proteins, vimentin which is involved in the regulation of post-implantation development was included. Thus, the protein expression pattern in CL was disorientated from cyclic luteal phase to mid pregnancy, and alterations in specific CL protein expression may contribute to the maintenance of pregnancy in Korean native cows.

Preparation of a HA/collagen film on a bioactive titanium surface by the electrochemical deposition method.

A hydroxyapatite (HA) film with or without collagen was electrochemically deposited on a bioactivated titanium metal prepared by acid-alkali treatment, so as to improve the biocompatibility of bioactive titanium metals. The cell response of the film was studied with MG63 osteoblasts culture. It was found that the hydroxyapatite formation in the film during the deposition process was inhibited when collagen was added in the electrolyte. More hydroxyapatite with and without collagen could be deposited on the bioactivated titanium than the control titanium metal without treatment, which indicated that the bioactivation process before the electrochemical deposition could accelerate the deposition. The abilities of cell attachment and proliferation were improved by the film especially in the group containing collagen, and the film on the bioactivated metal had higher cell response ability than that on the titanium without treatment. The results indicated that the hydroxyapatite/collagen film could improve the biocompatibility of the bioactive titanium metal surface, and the bioactivation surface modification could further regulate the film and its cell response. It is possible to get a titanium surface with higher bioactivity than the traditional bioactive titanium surface by combining the bioactivation surface modification and electrochemical deposition HA/collagen film.

Regulation on the biocompatibility of bioactive titanium metals by type I collagen.

To study the regulation on the biocompatibility of titanium metal surface structure, the interaction between the collagen and the titanium surface structure were studied with titanium surfaces subjected to anodic oxidation and acid-alkali treatment. The cell response on the treated surfaces was studied in vitro experiments of MG63 osteoblasts. The effects of different collagen adsorption ability on the biomineralization were investigated with simulated body fluid (SBF) experiment and osteoblasts culture experiments in a mineralization culture medium. It was found that the collagen adsorption ability was controlled by the wettability. The acid-alkali treated titanium could adsorb much more collagen on its surface. The abilities of cell attachment and proliferation were improved after collagen soaking. The apatite formation ability was inhibited in SBF after collagen adsorption on the surfaces, but improved in cell-involved situation. The ALP and OCN activity of MG63 cells assay showed the collagen on the titanium surface could enhance the bioactivity of the cells, which could accelerate the biomineralization process in cell culture experiments. The result indicated that the different adsorption ability of type I collagen could regulate the biocompatibility of titanium metal surface. It is possible to optimize the biocompatibility of the titanium metals by using suitable surface modification method.

Differential diagnosis of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 infection by detection of haemagglutinin with an enzyme-linked immunoassay.

A sensitive and convenient immunoassay that can directly differentiate pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (pH1N1) virus from seasonal influenza virus can play an important role in the clinic. In the presented study, a double-sandwich ELISA (pH1N1 ELISA), based on two monoclonal antibodies against haemagglutinin (HA) of the pH1N1 virus, was developed. After laboratory determination of the sensitivity and specificity characteristics, the performance of this assay was evaluated in a cohort of 904 patients with influenza-like illness. All seven strains of pH1N1 virus tested were positive by pH1N1 ELISA, with an average lower detection limit of 10(3.0 ± 0.4) tissue culture infective dose (TCID)(50) /mL (or 0.009 ± 0.005 HA titre). Cross-reaction of the assay with seasonal influenza virus and other common respiratory pathogens was rare. In pH1N1-infected patients, the sensitivity of the pH1N1 ELISA was 92.3% (84/91, 95% CI 84.8-96.9%), which is significantly higher than that of the BD Directigen EZ Flu A + B test (70.3%, p <0.01). The specificity of pH1N1 ELISA in seasonal influenza A patients was 100.0% (171/171, 95% CI 97.9-100.0%), similar to that in non-influenza A patients (640/642, 99.7%, 95% CI 98.9-100.0%). The positive predictive value for pH1N1 ELISA was 97.7% and the negative predictive value was 99.1% in this study population with a pH1N1 prevalence of 10.1%. In conclusion, detection of HA of pH1N1 virus by immunoassay appears to be a convenient and reliable method for the differential diagnosis of pH1N1 from other respiratory pathogens, including seasonal influenza virus.

Characterization of the genomic full-length sequence of HLA-Cw*010201, Cw*0706, and Cw*0801 in Chinese individuals.

Genomic full-length sequence of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-Cw*0706, differing from its closet allele Cw*070 101 by six nucleotide exchanges, was detected in two Chinese individuals.