Elevated Interleukin-37 Associated with Dengue Viral Load in Patients with Dengue Fever.

Dengue remains a public health issue worldwide. Similar to chronic infectious diseases, stimulation of cytokine production is not enough to drive immune effector cells for effective virus clearance. One possible mechanism is the virus induces a large number of negative stimulatory cytokines inhibiting immune response. Interleukin 37 (IL-37) plays a crucial regulatory role in infection and immunity, inhibits innate and adaptive immunity as an anti-inflammatory cytokine by inhibiting proinflammatory mediators and pathways. To date, there are few studies reporting correlations between dengue fever (DF) and IL-37. In this study we found that the serum IL-37b and IL-37b-producing monocytes in patients were significantly increased in DF patients. A majority of the IL-37b produced by DF patients was produced by monocytes, not lymphocytes. Increased levels of IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-α were also found in DF patients. However, we failed to detect IL-1ß, IL-17A and TNF-α in plasma, because of off-target. In our study, there was no relation between IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-α expressions and IL-37b in serum (P > 0.05). The IL-37b-producing monocytes were negatively correlated with the level of IFN-α in serum and platelet count, and positively correlated with lymphocytes percentage (P < 0.05, respectively). Additionally, serum DENV nonstructural protein 1 levels were positively correlated with monocytes percentages (P < 0.05). Our data represents findings for IL-37b expression and its potential mechanisms in DF patients' immune response.

[Relationship between Quantitative Monitoring of WT1 Gene and Prognosis in Patients with Acute Leukemia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the exprassion of WT1 gene in patients with adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and its clinical significance. METHODS: Sixty-three newly diagnosed patients with acute myeloid leukemia were selected. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to detect the expression of WT1 gene in the 63 AML patients and 20 non-AML controls. RESULTS: WT1 gene was highly expressed in AML patents and its expression in the low-risk group was significantly lower than that in middle-risk group and high-risk group (P<0.05), and no significant difference of WT1 gene expression between middle-risk and high-risk group was observed. In the patients of middle-risk and high-risk patients, the expression of WT1 gene in the remission group was significantly lower than that in the patients of non-remission after treatment (P<0.05). The non-remission patients after first treatment in middle-risk and high-risk group were treated with second induction therapy. After second induction therapy, the WT1 expression in remission patients was significantly decreased (P<0.05) in comparison with that in patients still in non-remission. There was a negative correlation between WT1 expression and the 2-year overall survival rate in the newly diagnosed middle and high-risk AML patients. CONCLUSION: The detection of WT1 gene expression can help to divide AML patients into low-/middle-/high-risk groups and to evaluate therapeutic response and clinical prognosis in middle and high-risk AML patients.

A study of commercial sex and HIV/STI-related risk factors among hospitality girls in entertainment establishments in Wuhan, China.

BACKGROUND: Commercial sex is illegal in China but there are still many hospitality girls (HGs) working at licenced entertainment establishments in many places in the country. Hospitality girls can be categorised as sex-HGs and non-sex-HGs. OBJECTIVE: To understand the proportion of sex-HGs and non-sex-HGs, the prevalence of HIV and sexually transmitted infections, and the high-risk behaviours among HGs. METHODS: A total of 257 HGs at 29 entertainment establishments (13 sauna/massage parlors, 10 dancing/karaoke bars and six barbershops) from seven urban districts in Wuhan were investigated and studied with a two-step sampling frame during November and December 1999. Information on sexual practices, drug abuse, condom use and other related factors were collected by anonymous interviewer-administered questionnaires. Anonymous laboratory testing was performed on 185 (72%) serum samples obtained for HIV-1 and HSV-2 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Of the 257 HGs, the mean age was 22.7 years (range 16-36 years); 147 (57.2%) stated they were sex-HGs, 15 (5.8%) were drug users, of whom 12 (80%) were injecting and 3 (20%) were inhaling. Sex-HGs was significantly correlated with drug abuse (P < 0.01, OR = 11.47). Among the 147 sex-HGs, 29 (19.7%) had sex with male clients more than seven times per week, 76 (51.7%) claimed to have used condoms consistently. The sero-prevalence survey of 185 HGs revealed that none tested HIV seropositive, and 40 (21.6%) were HSV-2 seropositive, which was positively correlated with sex-HGs (P < 0.01, OR = 3.13). CONCLUSIONS: Although the HIV epidemic in Wuhan has not yet reached a high level, HIV/AIDS prevention and control must be taken into account in entertainment establishments because of the existing high risk-taking behaviours and high STI incidence among HGs. It is feasible to carry out epidemiological investigations, which are concerned with sensitive topics such as sex, drug abuse, etc, among community-based female sex workers if designed and implemented prudently.