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Objective To detect the expression of Livin,an apoptosis-inhibiting protein,and Smac,an apoptosis-promoting protein,in basal cell carcinoma (BCC) lesions.Methods Skin specimens were obtained from the lesions of 80 patients with BCC and normal skin of 30 human controls.Immunohistochemical SP method was used to detect the pmtein expression of Livin and Smac in these specimens.Chi-square test was conducted to compare the expression rate of Livin and Smac protein between the lesional and control specimens.The relationship between the protein expression of Livin and Smac in BCC was analyzed by Spearman correlation coefficients.Results The expression rate of Livin protein was significandy higher (77.50％ vs.3.33％,x2 =49.04,P ＜ 0.001),while that of Smac protein was statistically lower (46.25％ vs.100％,x2 =26.47,P ＜ 0.001),in BCC than in the control specimens.No significant difference was observed in the expression rate of Livin or Smac protein between nodular ulcerative and pigmented BCC specimens (75.41％ vs.80.00％,x2 =0.001,P ＞ 0.05; 47.54％ vs.40.00％,x2 =0.28,P＞ 0.05) or between nodulocystic and pigmented BCC specimens (73.58％ vs.80.00％,x2 =0.03,P ＞ 0.05; 45.28％ vs.40.00％,x2 =0.13,P ＞ 0.05).There was a negative relationship between the protein expression of Livin and Smac in BCC lesions (r =-0.432,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion The upregulated expression of Livin and downregulated expression of Smac may be invoved in the occurrence and development of BCC.
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Objective To investigate the changes of serum levels of IL-24, IFN-γand IL-4 in patients with condyloma acuminatum (CA) after treatment. Methods Forty-two patients with CA who experienced no recurrence within 3 months after successful treatment were enrolled in this study. Double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (DAS ELISA) was performed to determine the serum levels of IL-24,IFN-γand IL-4 in these patients before and 3 months after successful treatment as well as in 35 normal human controls. Results The untreated patients showed a lower level of serum IFN-γ (9.65 ± 3.70 vs. 15.49 ± 3.85ng/L, P ＜ 0.01) and a higher level of serum IL-4 and IL-24 (15.91 ± 6.14 vs. 10.48 ± 5.08 ng/L, 141.84 ±44.01 vs. 103.20 ± 41.37 ng/L, both P ＜ 0.01 ) compared with the controls. No significant difference was observed for the above parameters between the serum samples from the controls and patients 3 months after successful treatment. Conclusions Cellular immunity is impaired in patients with CA, which may be involved in the immunopathogenesis of CA.
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Objective To evaluate the influence of amphetamine-type stimulants on serum rapid plasma reagent (RPR) tiler and negative conversion rate of RPR in patients with syphilis. Methods Thirty-six patients with syphilis who took amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) were recruited in this study together with 44 patients with syphilis who never took ATS and 30 normal human controls. Benzathine benzylpenicillin was given intramuscularly to all patients at a dose of 2 400 000 unit per week for 3 weeks. RPR and treponema pallidum particle agglutination (TPPA) assay were performed before treatment, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after the therapy. Radioimmune assay and ncphelometry were used to detect the serum level of IgG, lgM and IgA. The capability of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to product interferon-T (IFN-γ) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) was evaluated with ELISA. Results Before treatment, RPR titcr was significantly lower in the stimulant-taking group than in the non-taking group (χ2 = 14.93, P < 0.05). The negative conversion rates were 5.56%, 16.67% and 52.78% in stimulant-taking group 6, 9 and 12 months after the treatment, respectively, significantly lower than those in the control group (all P < 0.05). As for the serum level of IgG, IgM and IgA, there was no significant difference among the stimulant-taking group, non-taking group and normal control group (all P > 0.05). The capability of PBMCs to product IFN-γ was highest in the stimulant-taking group, followed by the non-taking group and normal control group (all P < 0.05). No significant difference was observed in the capability of PBMCs to produce IL-4 between the stimulant-taking group and non-taking group, but a significant increment was noted in these patients compared with the normal human controls (all P < 0.01). Conclusion Amphetamine-type stimulants could reduce serum RPR titer and negative conversion rate of RPR in patients with syphilis, likely by impairing cellular immunity of patients.
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To compare the effects of polysaccharide nucleic acid fraction of bacillus calmette guerin (BCG-PSN) and thymopeptides on T-lymphocytes of normal and immunosuppressed mice, CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocyte subsets of single nucleic cell in thymus, spleen and peripheral blood were detected successively by flow cytometry after application of BCG-PSN and thymopeptides. Meanwhile, CD4+/CD8+ ratio was also calculated. The results showed that both BCG-PSN and thymopeptides could decrease the proportion of CD4+ CD8+ T-lymphocyte subsets in the thymus, at the same time increase CD4+ T-lymphocyte, CD8+ T-lymphocyte proportion in the three tissues. The fluctuation in amplitude was greater in thymopeptides group than that in BCG-PSN group. It is concluded that acting location of thymopeptides is in thymus, its stimulating action is stronger than that of BCG-PSN, while BCG-PSN not only accelerates the differentiation in thymus, but also has some direct stimulation to peripheral CD4+ T-lymphocytes, and can maintain CD4+/CD8+ ratio within normal range. So, BCG-PSN is safer.
Subject(s)
Animals , Female , Male , Mice , Adjuvants, Immunologic , Pharmacology , Immunocompromised Host , Mycobacterium bovis , Chemistry , Nucleic Acids , Pharmacology , Peptide Fragments , Pharmacology , Polysaccharides, Bacterial , Pharmacology , T-Lymphocyte Subsets , Thymus Gland , ChemistryABSTRACT
To compare the effects of polysaccharide nucleic acid fraction of bacillus calmette guerin (BCG-PSN) and thymopeptides on T-lymphocytes of normal and immunosuppressed mice, CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocyte subsets of single nucleic cell in thymus, spleen and peripheral blood were detected successively by flow cytometry after application of BCG-PSN and thymopeptides. Meanwhile, CD4+/CD8+ ratio was also calculated. The results showed that both BCG-PSN and thymopeptides could decrease the proportion of CD4+ CD8+ T-lymphocyte subsets in the thymus, at the same time increase CD4+ T-lymphocyte, CD8+ T-lymphocyte proportion in the three tissues. The fluctuation in amplitude was greater in thymopeptides group than that in BCG-PSN group. It is concluded that acting location of thymopeptides is in thymus, its stimulating action is stronger than that of BCG-PSN, while BCG-PSN not only accelerates the differentiation in thymus, but also has some direct stimulation to peripheral CD4+ T-lymphocytes, and can maintain CD4+/CD8+ ratio within normal range. So, BCG-PSN is safer.