LMP2-DC Vaccine Elicits Specific EBV-LMP2 Response to Effectively Improve Immunotherapy in Patients with Nasopharyngeal Cancer / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

Objective@#To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a vaccine based on latent membrane protein 2 (LMP2) modified dendritic cells (DCs) that boosts specific responses of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) to LMP2 before and after intradermal injection in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).@*Methods@#DCs were derived from peripheral blood monocytes of patients with NPC. We prepared LMP2-DCs infected by recombinant adenovirus vector expressing LMP2 (rAd-LMP2). NPC patients were immunized with 2 × 10 @*Results@#We demonstrated that DCs derived from monocytes displayed typical DC morphologies; the expression of LMP2 in the LMP2-DCs vaccine was confirmed by immunocytochemical assay. Twenty-nine patients with NPC were enrolled in this clinical trial. The LMP2-DCs vaccine was well tolerated in all of the patients. Boosted responses to LMP2 peptide sub-pools were observed in 18 of the 29 patients with NPC. The follow-up data of 29 immunized patients from April, 2010 to April 2015 indicated a five-year survival rate of 94.4% in responders and 45.5% in non-responders.@*Conclusion@#In this pilot study, we demonstrated that the LMP2-DCs vaccine is safe and effective in patients with NPC. Specific CTLs responses to LMP2 play a certain role in controlling and preventing the recurrence and metastasis of NPC, which warrants further clinical testing.

Research progress on hereditary fibrinogen abnormalities / 中国实验血液学杂志

As the most abundant component of coagulation system, fibrinogen not only takes part in clotting, but also works as one of acute phase proteins, which participates in many physiological and pathophysiological processes. Studies of fibrinogen abnormalities contribute to understand the molecular basis of disorders of fibrinogen protein function and metabolism, caused mainly by gene mutation, commonly associated with bleeding, thrombophilia, or both. Diseases affecting fibrinogen could be classified to the acquired or inherited disease. In this review, the research progress on the molecular basis, possible action mechanism of the hereditary fibrinogen abnormalities and its clinical research are summarized.

Prognostic significance of serum anti-Epstein-Barr virus antibodies in nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>This study was aimed to investigate the association between serum against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibodies levels and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients' prognosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Blood samples from 140 primary NPC patients without metastasis were collected before and after treatment. The titers of VCA/IgA and EA/IgA were detected by immunoenzyme assay, and the levels of NA1/IgA and Rta/IgG were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All patients received consequent follow-up and long-term efficacy and survival assessment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Post-treatment serum levels of VCA/IgA, EA/IgA, NA1/IgA and Rta/IgG in NPC patients significantly decreased than those before treatment, while had significantly higher than those in control individuals (P < 0.05). Patients in remission had significantly lower pre-treatment serum levels of VCA/IgA and EA/IgA than patients with progression (P < 0.05). None of serum levels of VCA/IgA, EA/IgA, NA1/IgA and Rta/IgG was associated with the 3-year overall survival (P > 0.05). The progression-free survivals were significantly lower in patients with higher pre-treatment VCA/IgA (> or = 1 : 320) and EA/IgA (> or = 1:80) levels than in those with lower VCA/IgA ( < 1 : 320) and EA/IgA (< 1 : 80) levels, respectively (61.8% vs. 86.5% , 61.3% vs. 86.5%, P < 0.001). Cox regression model analysis demonstrated that pre-treatment serum VCA/IgA level was an independent risk factor for progression-free survival (HR = 3.80, P = 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Anti-EBV VCA/IgA and EA/IgA might provide information regarding the prognosis of NPC patients.</p>

Relationship between HLA-A, B alleles and red blood cell parameters of patients with --(SEA/αα) subtype of α(0)-thalassemia of Han ethnic population of Wuzhou city / 中国实验血液学杂志

This study was purposed to investigate the relationship between HLA-A, B allele polymorphisms and red blood cell parameters of patients with --(SEA/αα) subtype of α(0)-thalassemia in Han ethnic population of Wuzhou city. The HLA genetic polymorphisms were determined by polymerase chain reaction-sequence-based typing (PCR-SBT) in 57 patients with --(SEA/αα) subtype of α(0)-thalassemia of Han ethnic population in Wuzhou city, Guangxi province, China. Mean corpuscular volume (MCV), hemoglobin (Hb), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were detected by automatic blood analyzer system. HbA2 were detected by electrophoretic method. The statistical analysis was performed by ordinal polytomous logistic regression. The results showed that Hb and HbA2 levels were significantly lower in patients positive for HLA-A*33:03, B*15:01 or B*55:02, and were significantly higher in patients positive for B*15:02 (P < 0.05). It is concluded that several HLA alleles may be associated with Hb level of --(SEA/αα) subtype of α(0)-thalassemia of Han ethnic population in Wuzhou city. This result has the value for understanding phenotype-genotype relationships in thalassemia.

Evaluation of computational methods for HLA three loci haplotype by compare with family-based data / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>We evaluated the accuracy and efficiency of computational inference methods for haplotype on estimate HLA-A-B-C haplotype frequencies by compared with the haplotypes manually defined in a family-base dataset.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>558 individuals with pedigree information were selected, and their haplotyps were compared with the data obtained by the following three method: the Expectation-Maximization (EM) and Excoffier-Laval-Balding (ELB)algorithms using the AELEQUIN software, and the SAS/Genetics PROC HAPLOTYPE method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After performing the SAS/Genetics method, and the Expectation-Maximization (EM) and Excoffier-Laval-Balding (ELB) algorithms using the AELEQUIN software, 248, 247, and 238 different haplotypes were obtained respectively. The accuracy rates of these three methods were 88.5%, 89.1%, and 90.3% respectively. There are no significant different in the accuracy and estimated haplotype frequency comparisons among any two of these computational inference methods.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>High accuracy haplotype frequency estimate rates could be obtained by these three computational inference methods, and there are no significant difference in the comparison of haplotypes estimated by SAS/Genetics, the EM and ELB algorithms using the AELEQUIN software. However, ELB algorithm shows better performance than EM algorithm and SAS/Genetics PROC HAPLOTYPE method for haplotype frequencies estimation in general.</p>

Molecular detection and haematological analysis of heterozygotes in beta-thalassemia combining deletional alpha-thalassemia / 中国实验血液学杂志

This study was aimed to investigate the prevalence and genotype distribution of heterozygotes in beta-thalassemia combining deletional alpha-thalassemia by using molecular detection and haematological methods. Three common deletions of alpha-thalassemia were detected by using gap-PCR. The mutations of beta-thalassemia were identified by using PCR with reverse dot blot hybridization. The routine analysis of blood cells was carried out. The results indicated that 15 cases from the 81 beta-thalassemia traits were found to be the compound heterozygosity for beta-thalassemia and alpha-thalassemia with 9 different types of gene defects with 18.52% detection rate. There were 6 cases (7.41%) of beta-thalassemia heterozygote combining alpha-thalassemia-1 gene (--(SEA)/alphaalpha), 8 cases (9.88%) combining with alpha-thalassemia-2 gene including 6 (7.41%) right ward deletion (-alpha(3.7)/alphaalpha) and 2 (2.47%) left ward deletion (-alpha(4.2)/alphaalpha), and 1 case (1.23%) combining deletional HbH gene (--(SEA)/-alpha(3.7)). No significant differences were found between beta-thalassemia heterozygotes combining deletional alpha-thalassemia and pure beta-thalassemia in all RBC parameters. It is concluded that the incidence of beta-thalassemia heterozygotes combining with deletional alpha-thalassemia is frequent in Wuzhou city. The hematological analysis can not give specificity for diagnosing these dual heterozygotes. Gap-PCR as a routine method for thalassemia screening has the advantages in reducing the possibility of failing to detect the combining heterozygosity for beta-thalassemia and alpha-thalassemia. It is more useful for genetic counselling and prenatal diagnosis of this disease.

Sequence analysis of the deletion and mutation in carboxy terminal region of the Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein 1 derived from nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>To study the deletion and mutation in carboxy terminal region of LMP1 gene derived from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in Guangdong and Guangxi, the high risk areas of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>LMP1 gene carboxy terminal region was amplified from nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues by PCR, and then cloned and sequenced.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 20 cases, 17 were LMP1 positive. In all positive cases, only 1 case did not show deletion. Four positive cases were chosen for DNA sequencing, The rusult showed that all the four cases had mutation and the 30bp deletion.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>High frequency of deletion and mutation in LMP1 gene of nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues was found in Guangdong and Guangxi. Whether it related to the high incidence of NPC should be further studied.</p>