PRaG 3.0 therapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly fatal disease with limited effective treatment especially after first-line chemotherapy. The human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) immunohistochemistry (IHC) positive is associated with more aggressive clinical behavior and shorter overall survival in PDAC. CASE SUMMARY: We present a case of multiple metastatic PDAC with IHC mismatch repair proficient but HER-2 IHC weakly positive at diagnosis that didn't have tumor regression after first-line nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine and PD-1 inhibitor treatment. A novel combination therapy PRaG 3.0 of RC48 (HER2-antibody-drug conjugate), radiotherapy, PD-1 inhibitor, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-2 was then applied as second-line therapy and the patient had confirmed good partial response with progress-free-survival of 6.5 months and overall survival of 14.2 month. She had not developed any grade 2 or above treatment-related adverse events at any point. Percentage of peripheral CD8+Temra and CD4+Temra were increased during first two activation cycles of PRaG 3.0 treatment containing radiotherapy but deceased to the baseline during the maintenance cycles containing no radiotherapy. CONCLUSION: PRaG 3.0 might be a novel strategy for HER2-positive metastatic PDAC patients who failed from previous first-line approach and even PD-1 immunotherapy but needs more data in prospective trials.

Separation and Analysis of Oxygen-Containing Compounds in a Shaanxi Middle/Low-Temperature Coal Tar.

A middle/low-temperature coal tar (M/LTCT) was obtained from a low-temperature carbonization plant in Shaanxi, China. The M/LTCT was separated into light components and coal tar pitch through extraction. A series of alkanes, aromatic hydrocarbons, oxygen-containing arenes (OCAs), and nitrogen-containing arenes were fractionated from light components by medium-pressure preparative chromatography with gradient elution using petroleum ether and ethyl acetate. They were analyzed using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) and a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The OCAs were analyzed by a Fourier transform Orbitrap MS (quadrupole exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometer), and the molecular distribution of the O 1-O 6 species was studied. OCAs are mainly oxygen-containing aromatic compounds, including aromatic phenols, furans, alkoxy aromatic hydrocarbons, aromatic ethers, aromatic aldehydes, aromatic ketones, and aromatic acids. The position of the oxygen atom on the aromatic ring and the condensation form of the aromatic ring are studied.

Resveratrol improves ovarian state by inhibiting apoptosis of granulosa cells.

AIM: Among the natural polyphenolic compounds, resveratrol (RES) is known for reducing the effects of declining reproductive power through resisting senility, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory, while the molecular mechanism of RES in human ovaries is unclear. We aimed to evaluate the most likely mechanisms of RES against apoptosis induced by H2O2 in human ovary granulosa cells. METHODS: Ovarian granulosa cells from infertile women (≤35 years old) were collected. Those patients defined as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), poor ovarian responder (POR) and Endometriosis were excluded. Then they were randomly divided into control group, model group and the treatment group. Cellular apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometer method. The related protein and mRNA expressions were detected by western blot and RT-PCR. RESULTS: Apoptosis rates of the treatment group containing RES with concentrations of 1 µM and 10 µM were significantly decreased (p < 0.001). Western blot results demonstrated that the proteins levels of transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß), Bax and Caspase 9 were decreased, and Bcl-2 was increased under RES treatment, while the protein levels of Caspase 8, Caspase 3, growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) and bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15) expressed no significant difference. The results by RT-PCR of follicle and ovarian development related mRNA factors were consistent with that of western blot assay. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the present study provides the evidence that RES may affects apoptotic factors to protect human ovarian state.

Insight into the Compositional Features of Organic Matter in Xilinguole Lignite through Two Mass Spectrometers.

Ethanolysis of lignite is an effective approach for converting organic matter of lignite to liquid coal derivatives. Xilinguole lignite (XL) was reacted with ethanol at 320 °C. Then ethanol and isometric carbon disulfide/acetone mixture were used to extract the reaction mixture in a modified Soxhlet extractor to afford extractable portion 1 (EP1) and extractable portion 2 (EP2), respectively. According to analysis of EP1 with a gas chromatography/mass spectrometer, phenolic compounds made up more than 33% of the compounds detected. This could be ascribed to the ethanolysis of XL; that is, ethanol could selectively break the Calkyl-O bonds in lignite, producing more phenolic compounds. Furthermore, a quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometer equipped with an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization source was used for comprehensive analysis of the compositional features of EP1. The analysis indicated that O1-3, N1O0-2, and N2S1O3-6 were predominant class species in EP1. Nitrogen atoms in NO-containing organic compounds may exist in the form of pyridine or amidogen, while oxygen atoms primarily exist in furan, alkoxy, carbonyl, and ester groups. In addition, possible chemical structures of NO-containing organic compounds were speculated.

Piezo-Photocatalytic Synergy in BiFeO3 @COF Z-Scheme Heterostructures for High-Efficiency Overall Water Splitting.

Solar-driven overall water splitting is an ideal way to generate renewable energy while still challenging. For the first time, this work combined covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and piezoelectric material by covalent linkages to form Z-scheme core@shell heterostructure for overall water splitting. Benefiting from the synergistic effect between the polarized electric field and photo-generated charges, as well as the precise adjustment of shell thickness, the carrier separation and utilization efficiency is greatly improved. The optimal BiFeO3 @TpPa-1-COF photocatalyst revealed hydrogen (H2 ) and oxygen (O2 ) production rates of 1416.4 and 708.2 µmol h-1 g-1 under the excitation of ultrasonication coupled with light irradiation, which is the best performance among various piezo- and COF-based photocatalysts. This provides a new sight for the practical application of highly efficient photocatalytic overall water splitting.

[Effects of Xiangqin Jiere Granules on lipid metabolism and chronic inflammation in different obesity model mice].

This paper aims to study the effect of Xiangqin Jiere Granules(XQ) on lipid metabolism and chronic inflammation in different obesity model mice. The monosodium glutamate(MSG) obese mouse model was established by subcutaneous injection of MSG in newborn mice, and the high fat diet(HFD) obese mouse model was established by feeding adult mice with HFD. The normal mice were assigned into the control group; the MSG obese mice were assigned into MSG model group, XQ4.5 group(Xiangqin Jiere Granu-les, 4.5 g·kg~(-1)), XQ22.5 group(Xiangqin Jiere Granules, 22.5 g·kg~(-1)); the HFD obese mice were assigned into HFD model group, XQ4.5 group, and XQ22.5 group. The mice were intragastrically administrated with saline or XQ for 5 weeks. After that, the body weight, visceral fat mass, liver and thymus weight, and the organ indexes in each group were measured. The levels of triglyceride(TG), total cholesterol(TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-c) in serum and liver tissue were detected by the kits. The mRNA expression levels of acetyl CoA carboxylase 1(ACC1), fatty acid synthetase(FAS), diacylgycerol acyltransferase 1(DGAT1) and hepatic lipase(HTGL) involved in lipid metabolism in mouse liver tissue were detected by quantitative real-time PCR(qPCR). The protein levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and interleukin-6(IL-6) in serum were detected by ELISA, and the mRNA levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in liver tissue were detected by qPCR. Compared with the control group, MSG and HFD mice showed increased body weight, abdominal circumference, Lee index and visceral fat mass as well as elevated levels of TG, TC, and LDL-c in serum. The model mice had up-regulated gene levels of ACC1, FAS and DGAT1 while down-regulated gene level of HTGL in the liver. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein levels of IL-6 increased in the model mice. Compared with the model mice, XQ treatment decreased the body weight, abdominal circumference, Lee index, and visceral fat mass, lowered the levels of TG, TC, and LDL-c in se-rum, down-regulated the gene levels of ACC1, FAS, and DGAT1 in liver tissue, up-regulated the gene level of HTGL, and down-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of IL-6. To sum up, XQ has good therapeutic effect on different obesity model mice. It can improve lipid metabolism and reduce fat accumulation in obese mice by regulating the enzymes involved in lipid metabolism, and alleviate obesity-related chronic low-grade inflammation.

Self-Assembly of a 3D Hollow BiOBr@Bi-MOF Heterostructure with Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Dyes.

Considering the flexibility, adjustable pore structure, and abundant active sites of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), rational design and fine control of the MOF-based hetero-nanocrystals is a highly important and challenging subject. In this work, self-assembly of a 3D hollow BiOBr@Bi-MOF microsphere was fabricated through precisely controlled dissociation kinetics of the self-sacrificial template (BiOBr) for the first time, where the residual quantity of BiOBr and the formation of Bi-MOF were carefully regulated by changing the reaction time and the capability of coordination. Meanwhile, the hollow microstructure was formed in BiOBr@Bi-MOF through the Oswald ripening mechanism to separate photogenerated electron-hole pairs and increase the adsorption capacity of Bi-MOF for dyes, which significantly enhanced the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of RhB from 56.4% for BiOBr to 99.4% for the optimal BiOBr@Bi-MOF microsphere. This research broadens the selectivity of semiconductor/MOF hetero-nanocrystals with reasonable design and flexible synthesis.

[Pre-Transfusion Testing and Transfusion Strategy in Patients with Multiple Myeloma after Daratumumab Treatment].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the procedure of pre-transfusion testing and transfusion strategy of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) treated by daratumumab (DarA). METHODS: The blood samples of MM patients before and after DarA treatment from the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University were collected, and the ABO/Rh blood group antigen identification and DAT test results were compared. The results of antibody screening and cross matching of the patients before and after inactivation of red blood cells with 0.2 mol/L dithiothreitol (DTT) were compared and analyzed. RESULTS: ABO/Rh blood group antigen typing showed no affecting in patients after treated by DarA; the result of DAT test showed negative. Irregular antibody screening showed that all the three cells(Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ) were positive(1+~2+) and the self-control was negative. By microcolumn agglutination method, the main side of the multi-bag of blood showed no matched, while the secondary side showed all identical. After treated by DTT solution, the cross matching results in reagent red blood cells and the red blood cells of blood donors were both consistent, and the irregular antibody screening was negative. The K(+)O type erythrocytes used in parallel control were transformed into K(-)O type erythrocytes after DTT treatment. However, there was no significant changes in E(+) O type erythrocytes before and after DTT treatment. There was no condensation on the primary and secondary side of the condensed amine method. The primary and secondary sides of blood matching by saline method showed negative. CONCLUSION: After treated by DarA, cross matching results from microcolumn agglutination method can be interfered by the residual drug antibody in MM patients, while the interference was eliminated in the presence of 0.2 mol/L DTT solution. However, no disturbance was observed when using condensed amine method or saline method. Therefore, corresponding transfusion procedures should be selected according to the emergency degree of blood transfusion to ensure the safety and timeliness of blood transfusion.

Exosomal lncRNA LINC01711 facilitates metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via the miR-326/FSCN1 axis.

Esophageal cancer is a malignant tumor with a five-year survival rate of less than 20%. Early diagnosis and exploration of esophageal cancer pathogenesis are of great significance for the treatment and prognosis of esophageal cancer. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plays a vital role in the occurrence and development of different types of tumors. However, the role of exosome LncRNA in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is rarely reported. In this study, we detected high expression of lncRNA LINC01711 in ESCC tissues and was associated with poor prognosis. Silencing LINC01711 can inhibit the proliferation, migration, invasion, and growth of ESCC cell lines, and induce apoptosis. Linc01711 was identified as a competitive endogenous RNA that suppressed miR-326, and up-regulated the expression of fascin actin-bundling protein 1 (FSCN1). Besides, in vivo experiments showed that the administration of exosome-derived LINC01711 (LINC01711-Exo) promoted the growth of tumors in nude mice. In general, exosomal LINC01711 promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasion of esophageal cancer cells by up-regulating FSCN1 and down-regulating miR-326, thus improved the occurrence and development of ESCC.

Does the additional use of clomiphene citrate or letrozole for in vitro fertilization deserve more attention?

BACKGROUND: Adding clomiphene citrate (CC) and/or letrozole (LE) to in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles for mild ovarian stimulation is a general approach. Although lots of researches have demonstrated partial benefits of the strategy, all-around effects of oral medications remained deficient. This paper aims to assess whether an addition of oral medication will result in considerable outcomes on T-Gn (total dose of gonadotropin), Gn days, total retrieved ova, high quality embryos, blastocyst number, ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) rate, clinical pregnancy rate and cumulative pregnancy rate, even if it was not conventional mild/minimal stimulations. RESULTS: Participants were categorized to three diverse populations as high responders, normal responders and poor responders according to basal antral follicle count. T-Gn in patients treated with CC/LE distinctly decreased from 2496.96 IU/d to 1827.68 IU/d, from 2860.28 IU/d to 2119.99 IU/d, and from 3182.15 IU/d to 1802.84 IU/d, respectively. For high ovary responders and normal responders, the OHSS incidence rate also declined from 29.2 to 4.3% (P < 0.001) and from 1.1 to 0.0% (P = 0.090). Other, there was no statistical difference with respect to the T-retrieved ova (total retrieved ova), high quality embryos, cultured blastocyst and blastocyst number in high responders. For normal responders and poor ovary responders, T-Gn, Gn days, T-retrieved ova, high quality embryos, cultured blastocyst and blastocysts number in oral medications group all apparently decreased. Clinical pregnancy rate per fresh cycle of poor responders with prior oral medications was significantly decreased (25.7% vs. 50.8%, P = 0.005), and no significant differences in high responders and normal responders were expressed (52.5% vs. 44.2%, P = 0.310; 51.9% vs. 42.4%, P = 0.163) between two groups of participants. The numbers of cumulative pregnancy rates were lower in the conventional group compared to the add group for high (75.90% versus 81.03%, P = 0.279), normal (62.69% versus 71.36%, P = 0.016) and poor (39.74% versus 68.21%, P < 0.001) responders. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of CC/LE to the ovulation induction during IVF has certain efficacy in terms of low cost, low OHSS incidence. CC/LE deserves more recommendations as a responsible strategy in high responders due to advantageous pregnancy outcomes. For normal responders, the strategy needs to be considered with more comprehensive factors.

Transcriptome Reveals the Rice Response to Elevated Free Air CO2 Concentration and TiO2 Nanoparticles.

Increasing CO2 levels are speculated to change the effects of engineered nanomaterials in soil and on plant growth. How plants will respond to a combination of elevated CO2 and nanomaterials stress has rarely been investigated, and the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. Here, we conducted a field experiment to investigate the rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. IIyou) response to TiO2 nanoparticles (nano-TiO2, 0 and 200 mg kg-1) using a free-air CO2 enrichment system with different CO2 levels (ambient ∼370 µmol mol-1 and elevated ∼570 µmol mol-1). The results showed that elevated CO2 or nano-TiO2 alone did not significantly affect rice chlorophyll content and antioxidant enzyme activities. However, in the presence of nano-TiO2, elevated CO2 significantly enhanced the rice height, shoot biomass, and panicle biomass (by 9.4%, 12.8%, and 15.8%, respectively). Furthermore, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis revealed that genes involved in photosynthesis were up-regulated while most genes associated with secondary metabolite biosynthesis were down-regulated in combination-treated rice. This indicated that elevated CO2 and nano-TiO2 might stimulate rice growth by adjusting resource allocation between photosynthesis and metabolism. This study provides novel insights into rice responses to increasing contamination under climate change.

Serum anti-GAPDH autoantibody levels reflect the severity of cervical lesions: A potential serum biomarker for cervical cancer screening.

Recent studies have indicated that a certain level of autoantibodies may be essential for maintaining good health as well as preventing cancer development, and that the levels of serum autoantibodies can decline during malignant progression. The aim of the present study was to identify such an autoantibody-based biomarker for screening cervical lesions. An autoantigen reactive with healthy female sera was detected in the cytosolic fraction of HeLa cells, a cervical cancer cell line, and identified. Serum immunoglobulin (Ig)-G and IgM levels against the purified autoantigen in normal, cervical intraepithelial neoplasias (CINs) I, II and III, and cervical cancer were compared using ELISAs. The autoantigen in HeLa cells was identified to be GAPDH. The serum levels of anti-HeLa-GAPDH IgG decreased with increasing severity of cervical lesions, and similar decreases in IgM levels were revealed. Notably, the anti-HeLa-GAPDH IgG level was discovered to discriminate cervical cancer from normal samples with 80.0% sensitivity and 96.6% specificity. The serum anti-HeLa-GAPDH autoantibody level, as a single parameter, is a promising serum biomarker for screening cervical lesions.

A partition-type tubular scaffold loaded with PDGF-releasing microspheres for spinal cord repair facilitates the directional migration and growth of cells.

The best tissue-engineered spinal cord grafts not only match the structural characteristics of the spinal cord but also allow the seed cells to grow and function in situ. Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) has been shown to promote the migration of bone marrow stromal cells; however, cytokines need to be released at a steady rate to maintain a stable concentration in vivo. Therefore, new methods are needed to maintain an optimal concentration of cytokines over an extended period of time to effectively promote seed cell localization, proliferation and differentiation. In the present study, a partition-type tubular scaffold matching the anatomical features of the thoracic 8-10 spinal cord of the rat was fabricated using chitosan and then subsequently loaded with chitosan-encapsulated PDGF-BB microspheres (PDGF-MSs). The PDGF-MS-containing scaffold was then examined in vitro for sustained-release capacity, biocompatibility, and its effect on neural progenitor cells differentiated in vitro from multilineage-differentiating stress-enduring cells (MUSE-NPCs). We found that pre-freezing for 2 hours at -20°C significantly increased the yield of partition-type tubular scaffolds, and 30 µL of 25% glutaraldehyde ensured optimal crosslinking of PDGF-MSs. The resulting PDGF-MSs cumulatively released 52% of the PDGF-BB at 4 weeks in vitro without burst release. The PDGF-MS-containing tubular scaffold showed suitable biocompatibility towards MUSE-NPCs and could promote the directional migration and growth of these cells. These findings indicate that the combination of a partition-type tubular scaffold, PDGF-MSs and MUSE-NPCs may be a promising model for the fabrication of tissue-engineered spinal cord grafts.

Comparison of Placebo Effect between Asian and Caucasian Type 2 Diabetic Patients: A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Placebo was defined as any therapy that is used for its nonspecific psychological and physiologic effect but has no specific pharmacologic impact on the condition being treated. Besides medication therapies, studies have found that the optimal dietary approach as well as physical activity and education are useful to control hyperglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The aim of this study was to evaluate the placebo effects of antidiabetic therapies in Asian and Caucasian T2DM patients and make a comparison between the two ethnicities. METHODS: A search using the MEDLINE database, EMBASE, and Cochrane Database was performed, from when recording began until December 2016. The main concepts searched in English were sulfonylurea (SU); alpha glucosidase inhibitors (AGI); metformin (MET); thiazolidinediones (TZD); dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i); sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i); glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA); type 2 diabetes (T2DM); placebo controlled; and randomized controlled trials. Using the Cochrane instrument, we evaluated the adequacy of randomization, allocation concealment procedures, and blinding. RESULTS: This study included 63 studies with a total of 7096 Asian patients involved and 262 studies with a total of 27,477 Caucasian patients involved. In Caucasian population, the use of placebo led to significant reductions of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), -0.683% (P = 0.008) in SU monotherapy treatment, -0.193% (P = 0.001) in DPP-4i treatment, and -0.230% (P < 0.001) in SGLT2i treatment, respectively. In Asian population, the use of placebo resulted in significant decreases of HbA1c, -0.162% (P = 0.012) in DPP-4i treatment and -0.269% (P = 0.028) in GLP-1RA add-on therapy, respectively. The placebo also significantly reduced body weight. In Caucasian population, placebo use resulted in 0.833 kg (P = 0.006) weight loss by SU treatment and 0.953 kg (P = 0.006) weight loss by GLP-1RA treatment. In Asian population, the placebo led to a weight change of 0.612 kg (P < 0.001) by GLP-1RA analog treatment. The changes of HbA1c and weight due to the placebo effect in other treatments were not significant in both Asian and Caucasian population. Comparisons of the placebo effect on HbA1c change and weight change in each treatment group indicated that no significant difference was found between Asian and Caucasian population. CONCLUSIONS: The overall differences of the placebo effect on HbA1c changes as well as on body weight changes were not significant between Asian and Caucasian T2DM patients. The placebo effect on HbA1c changes and weight changes was not associated with baseline age, gender, baseline body mass index, baseline HbA1c, duration of diabetes, or study duration.

Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea: A case report and analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid leakage is usually caused by developmental abnormalities and is rare, accounting for approximately 5% of the cases of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage. To the best of our knowledge, clival dysplasia-caused CSF rhinorrhea has never been reported in the neurosurgical field. CONCLUSION: Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea is often treated by surgery, and a transsphenoidal approach repair is the main surgical method used, offering the advantages of less trauma, fewer complications, rapid postoperative recovery, and low recurrence rate.

The p75 neurotrophin receptor regulates cranial irradiation-induced hippocampus-dependent cognitive dysfunction.

Cognitive deficits, characterized by progressive problems with hippocampus-dependent learning, memory and spatial processing, are the most serious complication of cranial irradiation. However, the underlying mechanisms remain obscure. The p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) is involved in a diverse arrays of cellular responses, including neurite outgrowth, neurogenesis, and negative regulation of spine density, which are associated with various neurological disorders. In this study, male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats received 10 Gy cranial irradiation. Then, we evaluated the expression of p75NTR in the hippocampus after cranial irradiation and explored its potential role in radiation-induced synaptic dysfunction and memory deficits. We found that the expression of p75NTR was significantly increased in the irradiated rat hippocampus. Knockdown of p75NTR by intrahippocampal infusion of AAV8-shp75 ameliorated dendritic spine abnormalities, and restored synapse-related protein levels, thus preventing memory deficits, likely through normalization the phosphor-AKT activity. Moreover, viral-mediated overexpression of p75NTR in the normal hippocampus reproduced learning and memory deficits. Overall, this study demonstrates that p75NTR is an important mediator of irradiation-induced cognitive deficits by regulating dendritic development and synapse structure.

Two-step chromatographic purification of glutathione S-transferase-tagged human papillomavirus type 16 E6 protein and its application for serology.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) E6 protein is an oncoprotein with a pivotal role in cervical carcinogenesis. Expression and purification of HPV E6 from Escherichia coli (E. coli) has been difficult because of its strong hydrophobicity even when expressed as a fusion protein with glutathione S-transferase (GST). There has been no protocol suggested for purifying GST-tagged HPV E6 protein with high purity so far. Herein, we provide efficient protocol for purifying GST-HPV16 E6 protein for the first time. In the current study, the GST-tagged protein was expressed in E. coli and a purification method was designed using cation-exchange chromatography followed by GST-affinity chromatography. Using physiological pH buffer during cell lysis and first cation-exchange chromatography significantly reduced yield of full-length GST-HPV16 E6 protein. It was found that using an alkaline buffer during cation-exchange chromatography was needed to obtain full length GST-HPV16 E6 protein. GST-HPV16 E6 protein recovered from the purification using alkaline condition retained its inherent p53-binding ability. Moreover, we were able to detect anti-HPV16 E6 antibodies with high sensitivity in sera from patients with cervical cancer using the GST-HPV16 E6 protein. It was found that the GST-HPV16 E6 protein could be used as a coating agent to enhance the sensitivity of detection of serum anti-HPV16 E6 antibodies when treated with ethylene glycol-bis (ß-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA). These results indicate that the two-step chromatographic purification allows obtaining high purity of GST-HPV16 E6 protein and the GST-HPV16 E6 is suitable to be used as an antigen of serology assay.

ECG-gated pulmonary artery CTA for evaluation of right ventricular function in patients with acute pulmonary embolism.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate right ventricular function in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (APE) using electrocardiogram-gated CTA and to discuss the clinical value of pulmonary artery CTA PATIENTS AND METHODS: Based on death risk evaluation, 86 APE patients were divided into high-risk group (n=46) and non-high-risk group (n=40). The CT pulmonary embolism (PE) index and parameters of right ventricular function were analyzed from the CTPA images and compared between the two groups. Potential correlation between the two was also discussed. RESULT: CT PE index (median 24.69%) of the high-risk group was obviously higher than that of the non-high-risk group (median 8.58%) (P<.05). Except the diameter of superior vena cava, all other parameters of right ventricular function were significantly different between the two groups (P<.05). CT PE index was correlated with the parameters of right ventricular function. CONCLUSION: ECG-gated pulmonary artery CTA is suitable for assessing the severity of APE and right ventricular function.

Ameliorating Effect of Dietary Xylitol on Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus (hRSV) Infection.

Human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in infants. The lack of proper prophylactics and therapeutics for controlling hRSV infection has been of great concern worldwide. Xylitol is a well-known sugar substitute and its effect against bacteria in the oral cavity is well known. However, little is known of its effect on viral infections. In this study, the effect of dietary xylitol on hRSV infection was investigated in a mouse model for the first time. Mice received xylitol for 14 d prior to virus challenge and for a further 3 d post challenge. Significantly larger reductions in lung virus titers were observed in the mice receiving xylitol than in the controls receiving phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). In addition, fewer CD3(+) and CD3(+)CD8(+) lymphocytes, whose numbers reflect inflammatory status, were recruited in the mice receiving xylitol. These results indicate that dietary xylitol can ameliorate hRSV infections and reduce inflammation-associated immune responses to hRSV infection.

A rapidly new-typed detection of norovirus based on F0F1-ATPase molecular motor biosensor.

In order to adapt port rapid detection of food borne norovirus, presently we developed a new typed detection method based on F0F1-ATPase molecular motor biosensor. A specific probe was encompassed the conservative region of norovirus and F0F1-ATPase within chromatophore was constructed as a molecular motor biosensor through the "ε-subunit antibody-streptomycin-biotin-probe" system. Norovirus was captured based on probe-RNA specific binding. Our results demonstrated that the Limit of Quantification (LOQ) is 0.005 ng/mL for NV RNA and also demonstrated that this method possesses specificity and none cross-reaction for food borne virus. What's more, the experiment used this method could be accomplished in 1 h. We detected 10 samples by using this method and the results were consistent with RT-PCR results. Overall, based on F0F1-ATPase molecular motors biosensor system we firstly established a new typed detection method for norovirus detection and demonstrated that this method is sensitive and specific and can be used in the rapid detection for food borne virus.