ABSTRACT
ObjectiveTo study the role of catecholamine in genesis of myocardium injury after organophosphorus poisoning (OP) in order to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of OP-induced cardiotoxicity.Methods Of 92 patients with severe acute dichlorvos poisoning,41 were consecutively enrolled for study and followed up for three months. The levels of serum creatine kinase isoenzyme myocardium (CK-MB),cardiac troponin Ⅰ (cTnI),acetylcholinesterase (AChE),acetylcholine (Ach),epinephrine and norepinephrine were assayed on the 1st,3rd and 5th days after admission and on the day of discharge.Electrocardiography was recorded every day after admission.ResultsOf them,37 (90.2％ )patients survived and four ( 9.8％ ) patients died during treatment.Sinus tachycardia was found in 37 (90.2％ ) patients and ST-T changes in 33 (80.4％ ) patients.CK-MB and cTnI levels peaked 3 days after admission,and then decreased to normal levels.Serum Ach,epinephrine and norepinephrine peaked on the 1st day after admission and then decreased.ConclusionsSevere acute dichlorvos poisoning is associated with myocardial dysfunction likely caused by increase in catecholamine levels.
ABSTRACT
To investigate the effectiveness of thymosin a1 on patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP). Methods Thirty-five patients with SCAP were randomly divided into two groups, group A with regular treatment as control and group B with both thymosin a1 and regular treatment. Venous blood specimens were collected from them before treatment (baseline) and seven days after treatment for laboratory testing, including serum concentrations of c-reactive protein (CRP) and albumen (ALB), serum activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and aniline aminotransferase ( ALT), and percentage of T-lymphocyte subsets CD3+ , CD+ and CD8+ by indirect immunofluorescence. Meanwhile, their symptoms, signs and chest X-ray were observed. Length of mechanical ventilation and stay at emergency intensive care units (EICU) of the patients were recorded. Results Percentages of CD3+ and CD4+ , and ratio of CD+ to CD8 + increased significantly and percentage of CD8+ reduced significantly in group B seven days after treatment, as compared to those before treatment [ (46.3 ± 5.3) % vs. (29.9 ± 2.1 ) %, (44.5 ± 5.2) % vs. (28. 7 ± 2. 8 ) %, and 1.8 ± 0. 4 vs. 0. 9 ± 0. 1, respectively, P < 0.05, and (24.6 ± 2.9) % vs. (31.4 ± 3.7) %, P < 0. 05 ]. But, no significant improvements in those indicators were found in group A after treatment. There were significant differences in percentages of CD3+ , CID4+ and CD8 + , and ratio of CD4+ to CD8+ between group B and group A after trestmenL Serum concentration of ClIP reduced in both groups after treatment, as compared to that before treatment, but reduced more significantly in group B than that in group A. Serum concentration of ALB increased slightly in both groups after treatment, more in group B than that in group A, as compared to that before treatment. However, no significant difference in occurrence of ventilator-associated pneumonia ( VAP ) was found between the two groups (44.4% vs. 17.7%, P > 0.05 ) . Length of mechanical ventilation and stay at EICU were significantly shorter in group B than those in group A [ ( 8.4 ± 2.7 ) d vs. ( 5.1 ± 1.6 ) d, P < 0.05 ; and ( 16.1±2.9) d vs. ( 11.7 ± 2. 3 ) d, P < 0.01 ], and overall cure rates improved significantly in group B than that in group A (76.5% vs. 44.4%, P < 0.05 ), but no difference in case-fatality ratio was found between the two groups (33.3% vs. 23.5%, P >0.05).Conclusions Immune status of patients with SCAP could be improved by thymosin a1, with a shorter length of mechanical ventilation and stay at EICU, to promote their recovery.
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The importance of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte(CTL)against malaria parasite in pre-erythrocytic stage has been presented in relevant researches. In order to investigate whether one CTL epitope(YLNKIQNSL)involved in a chimeric pre-erythrocytic stage vaccine candidate of Plasmodium falciparum which was expressed and purified in the laboratory can stimulate in vivo CTL response,HLA-A*0201 transgenic mice were immunized with this vaccine candidate. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot(ELISPOT)assay was performed on the splenocytes from the immunized transgenic mice. Positive result indicated that this CTL epitope can be in vivo processed and correctly presented.
ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate immunogenicity and protection efficacy of the recombinant hypoxanthine-guanine-xanthine (HGXPRT) of Plasmodium falciparum expressed in Pichia pastoris. Methods 35 BALB/c mice were divided randomly into five groups: HGXPRT+ISA720 experiment group, HGXPRT+Freund experiment group, ISA720 adjuvant control group, Freund adjuvant control group, and blank control group. BALB/c mice were subcutaneously immunized three times with the HGXPRT protein formulated by either Freund or ISA720 adjuvants at a three weeks interval. Mice were bled via tail vein at 2 weeks after each immunization. Specific antibodies were detected by ELISA as well as IFAT using cultured parasites. The immunized mice were challenged with 105 P.yoelii 10 days after the third immunization and parasitemia was monitored daily by examining Giemsa-stained thin film. Results Strong immune response was induced by the HGXPRT antigen formulated with the adjuvant. Antibody titers of more than 1∶105 were detected after the third immunization while no specific antibody was detected in the mice immunized with adjuvants only. The antibodies against HGXPRT recognized the cultured parasite by IFAT. Four days after mice were challenged with P.yoelii, high parasitemia appeared in the two control groups, which were 24 h earlier than experiment groups. The mean parasitemia of HGXPRT+ISA720 experiment group(29.3%) was significantly lower than that of control groups (70.0%) (P