Multiplex fluorescent quantitative PCR for detecting deep fungal infection in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a rapid, sensitive and specific method based on multiplex fluorescent quantitative PCR for detection of deep infections with Candida albicans and Aspergillus flavus in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two pairs of primers and Taqman probes were designed according to the gene sequences of Candida albicans and Aspergillus flavus available in American Type Culture Collection. The positivity rate, sensitivity and specificity of the multiplex fluorescent quantitative PCR-based method for detecting the fungal infection was tested in 20 specimens from SLE patients with Candida albicans and Aspergillus flavus infections, 20 specimens from SLE patients with suspected deep fungal infections, and 20 microbial samples other than Candida albicans or Aspergillus flavus.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The multiple fluorescence quantitative PCR-based method showed a positivity rate and specificity of both 100% for detecting Candida albicans and Aspergillus flavus infections in the SLE patients. This method resulted in a detection sensitivity of 75%, significantly higher than that of fugal culture method (40%, P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The multiplex fluorescent real-time PCR-based method allows rapid, quantitative and simultaneous detection of deep Candida albicans and Aspergillus flavus infections with high sensitivity and specificity in SLE patients.</p>

Effects of podophyllotoxin solid lipid nanoparticles on proliferation and apoptosis of cervical carcinoma cells / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the anti-proliferative and apoptosis-inducing effect of podophyllotoxin solid lipid nanoparticles (PDP-SLN) in human cervical carcinoma cells in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Hela cells were treated with PDP and PDP-SLN at different concentrations (0.0005-5 micromol/L), and the proliferation of the cells was assessed using MTT assay and the apoptotic index was determined by flow cytometry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Both PDP and PDP-SLN showed obvious inhibitory effect on the cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. At the same concentration, PDP-SLN produced stronger inhibitory effect on the cells than PDP, with IC50 24, 48, and 72 h after the cell exposure to PDP-SLN and PDP of 4.10, 0.65, 0.20 micromol/L and 9.2, 4.0, 1.3 micromol/L, respectively. Both PDP and PDP-SLN significantly induced the apoptosis of the Hela cell, and the apoptosis rates of the cells incubated in the presence of 0.5 micromol/L PDP-SLN reached 90.8% at 24 h and 94.2% at 72 h, significantly higher than the rate of cells incubated with PDP (64.1% at 24 h and 68.4% at 72 h, P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>PDP-SLN can effectively suppress the proliferation and induce apoptosis of Hela cells in vitro.</p>

Treatment of recurrent condyloma acuminatum with solid lipid nanoparticle gel containing podophyllotoxin: a randomized double-blinded, controlled clinical trial / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the clinical efficacy and safety of podophyllotoxin delivered via solid lipid nanoparticle gel for topic treatment of recurrent condyloma acuminatum.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In a randomized double-blinded study, podophyllotoxin solid lipid nanoparticles gel and routine podophyllotoxin gel preparation was applied respectively for treatment of 97 volunteer patients with recurrent condyloma acuminatum. The therapeutic effect, condyloma acuminatum relapse following the treatment and adverse effect were evaluated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The wart clearance rate in the condyloma acuminatum patients in the first treatment course with podophyllotoxin solid lipid nanoparticle gel reached 97.1%, close to that with the routine preparation of 90.6%, but the nanoparticle preparation significantly reduced the recurrence rate and adverse effect (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Podophyllotoxin delivered via solid lipid nanoparticle gel can effectively clear condyloma acuminatum and reduce its recurrence rate with only mild, tolerable adverse effect.</p>

Autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (APBSCT) in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus.Methods Nine patients with systemic lupus erythematosus were enrolled in this study.Patients were given cyclophosphamide and granu- locyte colony-stimulating factor(G-CSF)as the mobilization regimen.Urine was alkalinized and hydrolyzed to protect the function of the heart,liver and kidney of the patients.A CS3000 Plus blood cell separator was used to collect peripheral blood stem cells,which were preserved in liquid nitrogen.Two to five days before the administration of the stem cells,the patients were pretreated with intravenous injection of cyclophos- phamide (50 mg?kg~(-1)?day~1) for 4 consecutive days and antithymocyte globulin (ATG,2.5 mg?kg~(-1)?day~1) for 3 consecutive days.Granulocytes were recoverd by G-CSF stimulation.Then,the peripheral blood stem cells were reinfused.Therapeutic effect was evaluated by assessment of alteration of clinical manifestation (skin erythema),levels of proteinuria and antoantibodies,hematopoietic reconstitution and occurrence of transplantation related complications.Results After transplantation,all patients had been successfully en- grafted.The time for peripheral leucocyte count to reach 1.0?10~9/L was 7～15d;the time for platelets to reach 20?10~9/L was 0～21 d.The skin erythema resolved in all patients;proteinuria decreased to normal level and the autoantibodies became negative in most of the patients.Serum sickness-like response occurred in all patients,renal and heart failure in 1 patient,hemorrhagic cystitis in 3 patients,psychiatric disorders in 1 patient,candidal infection in 1 patient.Conclusion One-year follow up suggests that autologous stem cell transplantation is markedly effective and relatively safe for systemic lupus erythematosus.However,the duration of remission remains to be investigated in a long-term follow up study.