ABSTRACT
【Objective】 To analyze the changes of gut microbes in patients with postpartum depression so as to explore the relationship between postpartum depression and gut microbes. 【Methods】 A total of 60 postpartum subjects were recruited to participate in this study. The depression status of the participants was scored using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS). Those with a score ≥13 were included in the postpartum depression group (PPD group), while those with a score less than 13 were included in the postpartum healthy control group (PPHC group). The feces of these 60 subjects were collected, and the fecal whole genome DNA was extracted for 16S rDNA sequencing. The data of changes in the bacterial diversity between the groups were obtained, and the possible correlation between the changes of intestinal microbes and postpartum depression was analyzed. 【Results】 The number of microorganisms in PPD patients was significantly reduced (P<0.001); the Chao1 index (P<0.001) and ACE index (P<0.001) of α diversity decreased significantly. There were also significant differences in β diversity between the two groups. Analysis of the bacteria in the groups showed that Acetanaerobacterium, Adlercreutzia, Allobaculum, Alloprevotella, Bifidobacterium, Christensenella, Escherichia, Eubacterium, Faecalicatena, Fusobacterium, Haemophilus, Intestinimonas, Lactobacillus, Megamonas, Monoglobumus, Muribaculum, Oscillospira, Paraprevotella, Streptococcus, Raoultibacter, Ruminococcus and Stomatobaculum were significantly enriched in PPHC group. In contrast, Kineothrix, Lachnoclostridium, Acinetobacter, Aquisphaera, Enterococcus, and Mucispirillum were enriched in PPD group. RDA/CCA analysis showed that EPDS was positively correlated with Prevotella, Kineothrix, and Alistipes, but negatively correlated with Lachnospira. 【Conclusion】 This study found that the intestinal flora of patients with postpartum depression was significantly disrupted, and there was a correlation between the intestinal flora and postpartum depression symptom score. Therefore, intestinal microbial markers may contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of patients with postpartum depression.
ABSTRACT
【Objective】 To study the correlation of clinical symptoms and cognitive functions with serum inflammatory factors in schizophrenia. 【Methods】 A total of 42 SCz patients (case group) and 47 healthy controls (control group) were enrolled in this study. We used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELSA) to determine six inflammatory factors in serum. PANSS was used to assess clinical symptoms and MCCB was used to assess the patients’ cognitive functions. 【Results】 ① Inflammatory factors: The serum levels of IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6 and IL-8 were significantly higher in case group than in control group (P<0.01). ② Cognitive functions: The scores of Trail Making Test, Hopkins Verbal Learning Test, Symbol Coding, Spatial Span, Brief Visuospatial Memory Test, Assessment Battery-Mazes, Category Fluency and Test-Managing Emotions of case group were significantly lower than those of control group (P<0.05). ③ Correlation between serum inflammatory factors and clinical symptoms: There was no correlation between serum inflammatory factors and psychiatric symptoms in schizophrenia. ④ Correlation between serum inflammatory factors and cognitive functions: The levels of IL-6 (rs=-0.33, P<0.05) and IL-8 (rs=-0.50, P<0.01) in case group were significantly negatively correlated with the scores of Space Scan test. 【Conclusion】 Patients with schizophrenia are presented with immune dysfunction, and the latter is correlated with cognitive impairments.
ABSTRACT
This study was aimed to investigate the proliferation activities and phenotype changes of DC, CIK and DC-CIK, and their cytotoxicity against hepatocarcinoma cells in co-culture of DC with CIK. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) were isolated from healthy adult donors. After incubation of PBMNC for 2 hours, DCs were induced from adherent cells by some cytokines and CIKs were generated from non-adherent cells. Mature DCs were harvested after incubation for 9 days, and then were co-cultured with CIK at ratio of 1:5 for 3 days. The cytotoxicity activity against SMMC-7721 hepatocellular carcinoma cell line was detected by MTT assay. The results showed that CIK cells were able to lyse SMMC-7721 hepatocellular carcinoma cells at low ratios of effector to target. This effect was significantly enhanced by co-culture with DCs. It is concluded that CIK cells have high lytic activity against 7721 hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, which can be enhanced by co-culture with DC. DC-CIK cells are highly effective immune cells.
Subject(s)
Humans , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular , Allergy and Immunology , Pathology , Cells, Cultured , Coculture Techniques , Cytotoxicity, Immunologic , Dendritic Cells , Cell Biology , Allergy and Immunology , Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated , Cell Biology , Allergy and Immunology , Liver Neoplasms , Allergy and Immunology , PathologyABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of dendritic cells (DC) co-cultured with cytokine induced killer (CIK) cells on cytotoxicity against K562 and K562 drug-resistant (K562/ADM) cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNC) isolated from healthy adult donors were induced to obtain CIK cells and DC respectively and then these two kinds of cells were co-cultured. The cytotoxicity of the co-cultured cells against K562 and K562/ADM cells was measured with MTT assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The cytotoxicity CIK cells alone to K562 and K562/ADM cells was (20.0 +/- 1.2)% - (61.1 +/- 2.2)% and (17.5 +/- 2.1)% - (45.2 +/- 3.3)% respectively at low effector to target ratios (2.5 - 20.0). This effect was significantly enhanced by co-culturing with DCs being (25.2 +/- 2.3)% - (70.9 +/- 4.1)% and (22.4 +/- 2.7)% - (62.3 +/- 5.0)%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>CIK cells showed high cytotoxicity against K562 and K562/ADM cells and the activity could be enhanced by co-culturing with DC.</p>