ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Sj?gren's syndrome (SS) is a chronic progressive autoimmune disease. The incidence of peripheral nervous system damage in patients with primary Sj?gren's syndrome (pSS) is 10%-30%. Previous studies have shown that there are multiple electrophysiological manifestations in patients with pSS presenting with peripheral neuropathy. However, there is no consensus on its neuroelectrophysiological manifestations. Peripheral neuropathy associated with pSS is easily confused with peripheral neuropathy caused by other etiologies. OBJECTIVE: To observe the neuroelectrophysiological manifestations of peripheral neuropathy associated with pSS to assist in the diagnosis of the disease. METHODS: A total of 100 pSS patients with peripheral neuropathy who receive treatment in the Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, in China will be included in this study. Fifty-two patients included in the preliminary experiment presented with peripheral neuropathy associated with pSS. The primary outcome measure is the rate of abnormal motor nerve conduction velocity. The secondary outcome measures include the rate of abnormal terminal motor latency, the rate of abnormal compound muscle action potential amplitude, the rate of sensory nerve conduction velocity, the rate of abnormal sensory nerve action potential amplitude, the rate of abnormal F wave, and the rate of abnormal sympathetic skin response. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Results of 52 patients included in the preliminary study showed that the rate of each electrophysiological index was similar between upper and lower extremities; the rate of abnormal motor nerve conduction velocity was significantly higher than the rate of abnormal compound muscle action potential amplitude; the rate of sensory nerve conduction velocity was significantly higher than the rate of abnormal sensory nerve action potential amplitude; the rate of abnormal motor nerve conduction velocity was similar to the rate of abnormal sensory nerve conduction velocity; the rate of abnormal compound muscle action potential amplitude was similar to the rate of abnormal sensory nerve action potential amplitude; the rate of abnormal wave was significantly lower than the rate of abnormal motor nerve conduction velocity; the rate of abnormal sympathetic skin response was similar to the rate of abnormal motor nerve conduction velocity. Results from this study will reveal neuroelectrophysiological abnormality in peripheral neuropathy associated with pSS, which will help diagnose the disease.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To prepare pneumolysin as a new protein carrier of vaccine against otitis media with genetic engineering technology and establish the base of the study on pneumococcal conjugative vaccines.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Genomic DNA was isolated from streptococcus pneumoniae. A pair of primers which included two restriction sites was designed based on the published pneumolysin gene sequence. The pneumolysin gene was amplified from pneumococcal DNA with PCR technology. The restriction enzyme digested fragment was linked into the cloning vector PET-28a and the recombinant plasmid DNA containing pneumolysin was then transfected into host cell E. coli JM109 (DE3).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>DNA fragments were subcloned to construct the complete pneumolysin gene by a conventional coning and PCR. The inserted pneumolysin gene sequence was confirmed by DNA sequencing and the pneumolysin protein was successfully expressed. The relative molecular mass of the expressed product was 52 000. The expressed product amounted to 8% of the total host cell protein.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The pneumolysin gene was successfully cloned into host cell using genetic engineering technology. The recombinant pneumolysin was expressed and purified for preparation. This work laid a foundation of the preparation of pneumococcal conjugative vaccines.</p>
Subject(s)
Bacterial Proteins , Genetics , Cloning, Molecular , Genetic Engineering , Genetic Vectors , Plasmids , Pneumococcal Vaccines , Genetics , Streptococcus pneumoniae , Genetics , Streptolysins , GeneticsABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the lung function of the normal subjects living in Hebei province and its correlative factors such as living circumstance, age, height, and body weight.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The lung volumes and breath capacities of 1,587 normal subjects were tested by portable spirometers (Scope Rotry) from August to October in 2002. The influences of living circumstance, age, gender, height, and body weight on lung functions were observed and analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>No significant difference was found between urban and rural areas in all indexes (P > 0.05); however, significant difference existed between male and female subjects (P = 0.000). The change trends of lung function in male and female subjects were similar. Growth spurt appeared at the age of 12-16 years in male subjects and 12-14 years in female subjects. Vital capacity (VC), forced vital capacity (FVC), and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) reached their peaks at the age of 26-34 years and then decreased with age. Peak expiratory flow (PEF), 25% forced expiratory flow (FEF50%), and 75% forced expiratory flow (FEF75%) appeared at the age of 18 and then went down with age. Both height and weight had a correlation with all the indexes of lung functions, although the influence of height is stronger than weight.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>All the indexes of lung function have correlations with age, height, and weight. Lung function changes with aging, therefore different expected values shall be available for the adolescence, young adults, and middle-aged and old people. This study provides reference values of lung function for normal population.</p>