Health care status of female workers exposed to occupational hazards in Haidian district of Beijing / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the health care status of female workers exposed to occupational hazards in Haidian district of Beijing and improve the labor protection of female workers.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A questionnaire provided by National Center for Women and Children's Health of Chinese CDC was used in the survey conducted to collect information about health care status of female workers in 141 factories with occupational hazards including chemical poisons and physical factors (noise, libration, microwave, high frequency and low temperature).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>141 factories were investigated, including 53 state-owned enterprises, 21 collective enterprises, 46 joint-stock enterprises, and 21 non-public enterprises. 12 251 female workers were surveyed, 10.19% (1249/12 251) of whom were exposed to occupational hazards. Of 141 factories studied, 16.31% (23/141) had no labor protection management organization.27.66% (39/141) did not provide pre-employment physical examination service to female workers.48.94% (69/141) didn't establish labor protection system for female workers in menstrual period. While, 21.28% (30/141) of the studied institutes deducted some salaries in the pregnancy, and 32.62% (46/141) deducted their wages during the puerperal period. 2.13% (3/141) arranged female workers in the posts which are forbidden by law (continuous heavy work load operation).9.93% (14/141) arranged pregnant female workers on the post forbidden by law.31.91% (45/141) and 33.33% (47/141) would deduct the time of prenatal medical examination and lactation from their working hours, respectively.39.01% (55/141) didn't afford the cost of fertility. 68.09% (96/141) had annual gynecological examination.45 factories were collected occupational examination reports, accounted for 31.91% (45/141). No female workers were found suffering from occupational disease. Of the 1865 occupational hazard factor monitoring points in 34 factories, there were 155 monitoring points, which were all noise monitoring points, did not meet the standard.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The current health-care status of female workers is not optimistic. It is necessary to consistently improve health care legislations, establish coordinated management mechanism and strengthen the publicity of policy to protect female workers.</p>

BCG-Induced Dendritic Cell Responses and Suppression of Interleukin-5 Production from T Cells in Atopic Asthmatics

Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) induces potent Th1 responses with the help of interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-12 released from dendritic cells (DCs), and suppresses Th2- associated allergic reactions. However, there are still some controversies on therapeutic effects of BCG in asthmatics. This study investigated whether BCG administration to DCs suppresses IL-5 production from T cells in atopic asthmatics. DCs derived from peripheral blood of subjects were cultured with or without BCG and Dermatophagoides farinae extract. Some DCs were co-cultured with T cells in the presence of BCG or the above culture supernatants. In the atopic asthmatics, BCG significantly increased IL-10 and IL-12 production from DCs. In the presence of D. farinae extract, BCG further increased IL-10 production. BCG-induced IL-10 production was significantly higher in the atopics (n=14) than in the non-atopics (n=9). Both BCG and the BCG-treated DCs culture supernatant significantly increased IFN-gamma production from T cells. Both BCG and the supernatant from DCs+BCG+D. farinae co-cultures significantly decreased IL-5 production (all p<0.05), but the supernatant from DCs+BCG co-cultures did not. In conclusion, administration of BCG together with D. farinae extract effectively decreased IL-5 production from T cells, probably through the action of IL-10 and IL-12 released from DCs in D. farinaesensitive asthmatics.

Inoculation route-dependent effects of BCG on asthmatic airway histology / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND: Intranasal (i.n.), as compared with subcutaneous (s.c.), BCG vaccination causes a greater suppression of airway eosinophilia. A comprehensive examination is needed to confirm that in various asthma models. METHODS: BALB/c mice were immunized with i.n. or s.c. inoculation of BCG 1 x 10(5) CFUs. Sensitization and provocaton using ovalbumin (OVA) or Dermatophagoides farinae (Der f) were started at the same time or 1 week after the immunization. And then, a bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and an examination of lung tissue using a computerized image analyzer program were performed. RESULTS: Both the i.n.- and s.c.- BCG infections reduced eosinophilia in both the BAL fluids and the lung tissues of both OVA- and Der f- asthma models. The proportions of BAL fluid lymphocyte in the mice infected with i.n. BCG were significantly lower than those with s.c. BCG (1.60+/-0.39% vs. 3.42+/-0.37%, p1,000 micrometer) airways: 17.4+/-3.2 vs 37.0+/-5.9/mm2, p<0.05]. The goblet cell proportions in epithelium were also significantly lower in the mice received s.c.- as compared with i.n.- BCG (0.29+/-0.18 vs 0.43+/-0.20, p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that both i.n.- and s.c.- BCG inoculations reduce eosinophilia in airways, but the s.c. route is more effective in the suppression of the asthmatic responses in lung tissue.

Bcl-2 antisense oligonucleotides suppress HL-60 cell growth in a SCID mouse mode / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of bcl-2 antisense phosphorothioate oligonucleotides (ASPO) on suppression of HL-60 cell growth in SCID mice and to investigate the feasibility of purging leukemia cells plus bcl-2 ASPO used in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>1 x 10(7) viable HL-60 cells were treated with 10 micro mol/L bcl-2 ASPO seven days before the intraperitoneal (IP) inoculation to the SCID mice, Treatment with sense oligonucleotides (SPO) was similar as for the controls. 35 days after the inoculation, all the SCID mice of both groups were sacrificed and their peripheral blood, bone marrow, liver and spleen were examined using half nested RT-PCR and histopathology for detecting the appearance and distribution of the HL-60 cells treated beforehand with antisense or sense oligonucleotides respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>ASPO could down regulate the expression of bcl-2 resulting in both inhibition of growth and induction of apoptosis in treated HL-60 cells, which failed to develop leukemia in SCID mice at all. However, SPO treated HL-60 cells still behaved their own ways and proliferated agressively, and developed leukemia at last.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The bcl-2 ASPO enables to suppress HL-60 cell growth and prevent the development of leukemia in the SCID mice. The purging leukemia cells used are seemed liable in inhibiting the development of leukemia in SCID mouse model.</p>

Bone Marrow Cells Activated by Autologous Dendritic Cells Purges Bone Marrow from Patients with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia / 中国实验血液学杂志

In order to investigate the effect of autologous dendritic cells (DCs) activating bone marrow cells and purging bone marrow from chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients, DCs were separated by negative selection system of human cells from bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) of 2 CML patients in hematological remission and harvested after 3 days of culture in IMDM containing autologous plasma, rhGM-CSF and rhTNFalpha at 37 degrees C, 5% CO(2) humidified atmosphere. BMMNCs from the patients were also used to set up long-term culture (LTC) system in T-25 plastic flasks. The LTCs included three groups, i.e., control, addition of rhIL-2, and co-culture with autologous DCs. Half of non-adherent cells were collected, counted and assayed for CFU-GM weekly. Then, equivalent volume of fresh medium was replaced to maintain the culture. The culture was discontinued if the non-adherent cells count was less than 2 x 10(5). Adherent cells were collected for CFU-GM assay and flow cytometry for CD34 and P210. The colonies originating from the adherent cells were picked up under the inverted microscope. RNA was extracted, and BCR/ABL measured by nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results showed that the CFU-GM yields of non-adherent cells declined after 1 to 2 weeks co-cultured with autologous DCs, and it paralleled with group with rhIL-2. P210(+) cell percentage was also decreased. From the third week on, however, the decrease of CFU-GM yields slowed down, while CFU-GM in the system with rhIL-2 continued to fall. In system co-cultured with autologous DCs, the adherent cells contained the least percentagcs of CD34(+) cells and P210(+) cells percentage. However, the expression of BCR/ABL in CFU-GM colonies derieved from the adherent cells of DCs co-cultured had no significant difference with those from the culture without DCs. Our results suggest that co-culture of marrow cells with autologous DCs could significantly diminish the leukemic progenitors cells including both mature and primitive progenitor cells. Autologous dendritic cells might be used for ex vivo purging of CML marrow.