Serum metalloproteinase-3 levels in assessing efficacy of Etanercept in patients with ankylosing spondylitis / 浙江大学学报·医学版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the value of metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) levels in assessing efficacy of etanercept treatment in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The serum and synovial fluid levels of MMP-3 were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 48 patients with AS in week 0, 6 and 12; and also measured in 30 serum samples and 10 synovial fluid samples from healthy controls.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The serum levels of MMP-3 in AS patients were significantly higher than those in controls. In AS patients, the MMP-3 levels in synovial fluid were significantly higher than those in serum levels. The serum MMP-3 levels in AS patients with peripheral arthritis were higher than those with exclusively axial involvement; while C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) did not differ between these 2 groups of AS. At week 6 and week 12 of etanercept treatment, the serum MMP-3 levels were significantly decreased (p<0.01) with the declining trend of ESR, CRP, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) (all p<0.01). Before the etanercept treatment (week 0), serum levels of MMP-3 were correlated with ESR, CRP, BASDAI and BASFI (p<0.05). ESR was also correlated with CRP and BASFI, but not with BASDAI (r=0.361, P=0.071). At weeks 12, serum MMP-3 levels were still correlated with ESR, CRP and BASDAI (P<0.05), but not with BASFI (P=0.339); ESR was correlated with CRP, but not with BASDAI and BASFI. There was a significant correlation between BASDAI and BASFI (r=0.818,P=0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Serum MMP-3 levels are closely related to disease activity and may serve as an useful indicator for efficacy of etanercept treatment in AS patients.</p>

Construction of recombinant plasmid containing mouse vasoactive intestinal peptide gene and its expression in COS-7 cells / 浙江大学学报·医学版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To construct the eukaryotic expression plasmid containing mouse vasoactive intestinal peptide(VIP) gene with biological activities.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>VIP cDNA including the sequences of signal peptide was cloned from mouse thymus by RT-PCR, and then inserted into the mammalian expression vector pcDNA3.1 between Hind III and EcoR I restriction sites. COS-7 cells were transfected with pcDNA3. 1-VIP using liposome, the expression of VIP was identified by Western blot and ELISA. Supernatant of transfected cell culture was added to LPS-stimulated macrophages and the TNF-alpha production in cell medium was observed by ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The cloned VIP cDNA was confirmed by enzyme digestion and DNA sequencing. The expression of VIP was detected in the pcDNA3. 1-VIP transfected COS-7 cells by Western blot and ELISA. The VIP in culture supernatant potently inhibited TNF-alpha production by LPS-induced Macrophages in vitro.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The eukaryotic expression plasmid that expresses biological active murine VIP has been constructed successfully.</p>

Relationship between the homocysteine level and stroke / 中国康复理论与实践

@#ObjectiveTo study the relationship between the homocysteine (Hcy) level and stroke. Methods57 cases, including cerebral haemorrhage (CH, 21 cases) and cerebral infarction (CI, 36 cases) , and 28 healthy cases as control group were selected to measure their level of Hcy, VitB12 , folic acid and creatinine(Cr). At the same time, the clinical neurological disfunction scale(CNDS) of all patients was evaluated and the hematom volume (HV) of the CH group was assayed. ResultsThe Hcy level of both CI and CH group was significantly higher than that of the control group(P<0.05 or P<0.01). No significant difference was found between CI and CH group on Hcy level. The Hcy level showed a very strong or strong reverse association with folic acid level in the CI and CH group (r=-0.442,P=0.007 or r=-0.531,P=0.013), but no significant correlation with VitB12 level. No correlation was found between Hcy level and CNDS in both the CI and CH group, either no correlation between Hcy level and HV in the CH group. ConclusionThere is a close relationship between hyperhomocysteine and stroke. Hcy level is reversely associated with folic acid level but not correlated with VitB12 level.

Clinical evaluation of risk factors for coronary heart disease / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the relationship between risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) and coronary artery lesions.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Potential risk factors were studied in 341 patients underwent coronary angiography.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) Coronary angiography showed coronary artery lesions in 214 patients (lesion group), and no lesion in 127 patients (non-lesion group). There was significant difference in age, past history of diabetes, family history of CHD, smoking history, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), lower-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), ratio of total cholesterol to HDL-C (TC/HDL-C), lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], fibrinogen (Fbg) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) between two groups (P < 0.05). (2) There was significant correlation between severity of coronary artery lesions and hs-CRP, Lp(a), TC/HDL-C, Fbg, hyperlipidemia, TC, LDL-C and TG (with coefficients of correlation of 0.338, 0.250, 0.241, 0.207, 0.167, 0.147, 0.140 and 0.139; respectively, P < 0.05). (3) Analysis of receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve for patients with coronary angiography and risk factors for CHD showed that the areas under ROC curve were 0.810, 0.669, 0.626, 0.625, 0.619 and 0.618 for hs-CRP, TC/HDL-C, Lp(a), Fbg, LDL-C and past history of hyperlipidemia, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Past history of hyperlipidemia was a predictor for occurrence of CHD. Ratio of TC/HDL-C and blood level of Lp(a) could be used as predictors in screening for high blood lipid, which were much stronger than others. It is suggested that hs-CRP had an excellent predictive value in current coronary inflammatory lesions.</p>