ABSTRACT
The length of cervical canal was monitored by perineal ultrasonography in 377 pregnant women with 22 to 36 weeks of gestation,at the same time the contents of fibronectin (fFN) in cervical secretions were measured.The rate of cervical canal length shortening from the time of first visit to the appearance of preterm signs was calculated.When the cervical length shortening rate was 16％ ～ 60％,fFN (+) was correlated with higher preterm birth rate (P ＜0.01),while when the shorten rate ＞ 60％ there was no significant difference in preterm delivery rate between fFN (+) and fFN (-) groups (P ＞ 0.05).The results indicate that the monitoring of cervical canal length combined with fiberonectin measurement in cervical secretion may better predict pretenn birth.
ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the regulatory effect of OX40 co-stimulatory signal on the expression of Foxp3 in inductive regulatory T cells (iTreg) in vitro.Method CD4+ CD25+ naive T cells were isolated from C57BL/6 mouse lymphocyte suspension by MASC CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cell isolation kit.Inductive Tregs were generated by stimulation of naive T cells in the presence of transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ1),anti-CD3,anti-CD28 and IL-2.The regulatory effect on iTregs was shown by use of OX40 stimulation monoclonal antibody (OX86) or control antibody.Using flow cytometric analysis (FACS),we examined the antibody-based identification of Tregs surface markers CD4 and CD25,along with the intracellular activation marker FoxP3.Results The ratio of CD4+ CD25+ nTregs isolated from mouse lymphatic node was (5.0 ± 0.4)％ vs.(71.8 ± 13.4)％ of TGFβ1-driven iTregs.The ratio of CD4+ CD25+ Tregs was (80.0 ± 1.6) ％ in OX40 stimulation McAb group vs.(86.0 ± 1.4)％ in control antibody group.Furthermore,the expression of Foxp3 was (59.2 ± 0.7) ％ in OX40 stimulation McAb group vs.(70.0 ± 0.8) ％ in control antibody group (P＜0.05).Conclusion TGFβ1-dependent protocol may induce the conversion of naive CD4+ T cells into CD25+ Foxp3+ iTregs.OX40 stimulation can down-regulate the expression of Foxp3 in CD4+ CD25 + iTreg significantly.Thus OX40 molecular may become an attractive target in Tregs-induced transplant tolerance.Further study should be performed to increase the suppressive activity of iTregs through blockade of OX40 signal.