Two New Species of Placolecis (Lichenized Ascomycota) from China

Two new species of the lichen genus Placolecis are discovered in China, namely P. kunmingensis An. C. Yin & Li S. Wang and P. sublaevis An. C. Yin & Li S. Wang. The new combination P. loekoesiana (S.Y. Kondr., Farkas, J.J. Woo & Hur) An. C. Yin is proposed. Placolecis kunmingensis is characterized by having simple, spherical or ellipsoid, hyaline spores, and pear-shaped pycnidia; while P. sublaevis can be distinguished by its thallus forming larger aggregations with slightly flattened lobes at the thallus margin, and urn-shaped pycnidia. Descriptions, a phylogenetic tree and a key are provided for all the known Placolecis species in China.

Survey of pregnant women's understanding of thyroid diseases and analysis of influence factors / 上海交通大学学报（医学版）

Objective · To explore ways to improve screening conditions for thyroid disorders during pre-pregnancy period and the first trimester.Methods · 1212 cases of hospitalized expectant mothers from Jan 2016 to Dec 2016 in the First People's Hospital of Lianyungang were studied. As required, these subjects were filled in the questionnaires, including the pregnant women's basic situation, the way of obtaining the information, their understanding level of thyroid disorders, and their experience of thyroid function screening and screening time. The clinical data was analyzed after collected. Results · Among 1212 subjects, merely 214 (17.66%) subjects knew the thyroid disorders and considered it harmful to themselves during their pregnancy, and 659 (54.37%) subjects knew less about thyroid disorders, and 339 (27.97%) knew nothing about the two situations mentioned above.Among all the pregnant women in this study, 29 (2.39%) underwent thyroid function screening before pregnancy, 185 (15.26%) in the first-trimester, 635 (52.39%) during the second and third trimesters, and 363 (29.95%) didn't get thyroid function screening at all. The level of knowing thyroid disorders has a positive correlation to screening ratio in total and the pre-pregnant and first-trimester screening ratio (r=0.57, r=0.15, P=0.000). Conclusion · Raising childbearing-aged women's awareness of thyroid disorders and their harms to pregnancy will be helpful for improving thyroid function screening ratio in pregnancy.

Survey of pregnant women's understanding of thyroid diseases and analysis of influence factors / 上海交通大学学报（医学版）

Objective · To explore ways to improve screening conditions for thyroid disorders during pre-pregnancy period and the first trimester.Methods · 1212 cases of hospitalized expectant mothers from Jan 2016 to Dec 2016 in the First People's Hospital of Lianyungang were studied. As required, these subjects were filled in the questionnaires, including the pregnant women's basic situation, the way of obtaining the information, their understanding level of thyroid disorders, and their experience of thyroid function screening and screening time. The clinical data was analyzed after collected. Results · Among 1212 subjects, merely 214 (17.66%) subjects knew the thyroid disorders and considered it harmful to themselves during their pregnancy, and 659 (54.37%) subjects knew less about thyroid disorders, and 339 (27.97%) knew nothing about the two situations mentioned above.Among all the pregnant women in this study, 29 (2.39%) underwent thyroid function screening before pregnancy, 185 (15.26%) in the first-trimester, 635 (52.39%) during the second and third trimesters, and 363 (29.95%) didn't get thyroid function screening at all. The level of knowing thyroid disorders has a positive correlation to screening ratio in total and the pre-pregnant and first-trimester screening ratio (r=0.57, r=0.15, P=0.000). Conclusion · Raising childbearing-aged women's awareness of thyroid disorders and their harms to pregnancy will be helpful for improving thyroid function screening ratio in pregnancy.

GM-CSF gene-modified dendritic cell vaccine enhances antitumor immunity in vitro / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate if granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) gene-modified dendritic cells (DC) enhance antitumor immunity in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Mice were injected with chemokine ligand 3 (CCL3) via the tail vein. Fresh B220(-)CD11c(+) cells were sorted from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and cultured into DCs by cytokines.DCs were transfected with AdGM-CSF gene at different ratios of multiplicity of infection (MOI) to determine the optimal gene transfection conditions, and the expression of GM-CSF was detected after transfection. The variation of GM-CSF gene-modifiedDCs were analyzed by morphological examination, phenotype analysis, and mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR).DCs were loaded with gastric cancer antigen obtained by freezing and thawing method. The killing effect of DCs vaccine-stimulated T lymphocytes on gastric cancer cells was assessed by MTT assay. INF-gamma production was determined with the INF-gamma ELISA kit.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>B220(-)CD11c(+) cells increased obviously after CCL3 injection. The ELISA results showed that after GM-CSF gene modification, DCs could produce high level of GM-CSF. When DCs were transfected with AdGM-CSF gene at MOI equal to 100, the GM-CSF level in culture supernatants reached saturation [(130.00 +/- 12.61) pg/ml]. After GM-CSF gene-modification, DCs tend to be more maturated as detected by morphological observation and phenotype analysis. At the same time, the capacity of activating the proliferation of allogeneic T lymphocytes was enhanced greatly. T lymphocytes stimulated by DCs transfected with GM-CSF gene showed a specific killing effect on gastric carcinoma cells and produced high level of INF-gamma [(1245.00 +/- 13.75) pg/ml].</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>After GM-CSF gene modification, DCs can produce high level of GM-CSF, which tend to be more maturated, and the capacity of activating the proliferation of allogeneic T lymphocytes is enhanced greatly. GM-CSF gene modified DCs can induce specific CTL to target tumor cells in vitro.</p>

Immune response of melanoma antigen gene-3 modified dendritic cell vaccines in gastric carcinoma / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the anti-gastric carcinoma immunological efficacy of dendritic cells (DC) precursors, that were mobilized into the peripheral blood by injection of macrophage inflammation protein-1 alpha (MIP-1 alpha), and induced by DC vaccine expressing melanoma antigen gene-3 (MAGE-3) ex vivo and in vivo.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>615 mice were injected with MIP-1 alpha via the tail vein. Freshly isolated B220(-) CD11c+ cells were cultured with cytokines and assayed by phenotype analysis and mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). For adenoviral (Ad)-mediated gene transduction, cultured B220(-) CD11c+ cells were incubated with Ad-melanoma antigen gene-3. MIP-1 alpha-mobilized B220(-) CD11c+ cells pulsed MFC cells tumor lysate were used as positive control. The stimulated DC vaccination-induced T lymphocytes, and the killing effect of the T cells on gastric carcinoma cells were assayed by MTT. INF-gamma production was determined with the INF-gamma ELISA kit. To establish the solid tumor model, groups of 615 mice were injected with MFC cells subcutaneously into the abdominal wall. MIP-1 alpha-mobilized DC vaccines expressing MAGE-3 gene were used to immunize the mice after the challenge of MFC cells, then the tumor size and the survival of mice were examined to detect the therapeutic effect of DC vaccines.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>B220(-) CD11c+ cells increased obviously after MIP-1 alpha injection, and freshly isolated B220(-) CD11c+ cells cultured with mGM-CSF, IL-4, and mTNF-alpha were phenotypically identical to typical DC, gained the capacity to stimulate allogeneic T cells. These MIP-1 alpha-mobilized DCs were transduced with Ad-MAGE-3, which were prepared for DC vaccines expressing tumor antigen. T lymphocytes stimulated with DC-transduced with Ad-MAGE-3 showed specific killing effect on gastric carcinoma cells and produced high levels of INF-gamma [(1460.00 +/- 16.82) pg/ml]. Five days after the MFC cells challenge, the mice were subsequently injected with DC vaccines. The tumor size of the experimental group was significantly smaller than that in the positive control group and the negative control groups (P<0.01). Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed the survival of the experimental group mice was significantly longer than that of the control groups (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>B220(-) CD11c+ DC precursors are rapidly accumulated in the peripheral blood after injection of MIP-1 alpha into mice, which can further differentiate into mature DCs. These MIP-1 alpha-mobilized DCs, when transduced with MAGE-3 gene, can induce specific CTL to gastric carcinoma cells ex vivo, and can generate anti-tumor therapeutic effects on MFC cells loading mice in vivo. The efficiency of anti-tumor therapeutic immunity induced by MIP-1 alpha-mobilized DCs expressing tumor antigen are much more potent than MIP-1 alpha mobilized DCs pulsed MFC cells tumor lysate.</p>

Effect of dendritic cells on renal tubulointerstitial inflammatory injury and regulatory role of PsL-EGFmAb / 中华肾脏病杂志

Objective To explore the distribution of dendritic cells (DCs) and the expression of adhesion molecules in rat kidney with unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO),as well as the regulatory effect of anti-P-selectin lectin-EGF domain monoelonal antibody (PsL-EGFmAb) on adhesion,maturation and function of human DCs cultured in vitro.Methods UUO rat models were established,which were divided into sham group (n=6),untreated group (n=18)and treated group with PsL-EGFmAb(n=18).DCs were analyzed with Axioplan 2 microscopy,while P-selectin being observed by immunohistochemistry.CD34~+ stem cells were isolated from cord blood and cultured in 20%IMDM medium with SCF,GM-CSF,TGF-?1,Flt-3L and TNF-?in vitro.During development, PsL-EGFmAb was added and IL-10 served as control.FACS was performed to detect the expression of HLA-DR,CD1a,CD11c,CD54,CD83,CD80,CD86,CD209 (DC-SIGN) and CD62-P,-E,-L (P-,E-,L-selectin) on DCs.RT-PCR was performed to detect the expression of NF-_KB P50, P65 mRNA.MLR was performed to detect the stimulatory effect of DCs on T cell proliferation and ELISA to determine IL-12p70 amount.Results Comparing with Sham group,the expression of P- selectin was up-regulated among tubulointerstitium mainly on renal tubular epithelial cell after unilateral ureteral obstruction on day 1,while CD1a~+CD80~+DCs being also found in renal interstitium. The expression of P-seleetin and CD1a~+CD80~+DCs was increased evidently on day 7,and correlated with the degree of renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis closely.However,these changes became less conspicuous in rat treated with PsL-EGFmAb.In vitro experiment showed on day 5 after cultured with the induction of TNF-?,immature DCs highly expressed C-type lectin DC-SIGN of pattern recognition receptors;the expression of co-stimulatory molecules such as CD11c,CD83,CD80 and CD86 on mature DCs was up-regulated in paralleling with the mRNA level of NF-_KB;the secretion of IL-12 was enhanced,as well as displaying the features of antigen-presenting cells with a higher ability to induce proliferation of T lymphocytes in vitro.In addition,L-selectin expressed highly on immature DCs,but lowly on mature DCs,neither of two DCs expressed P- and E-selectin.Compared with the IL-10 treated group,PsL-EGFmAb had an inhibitory effect on DC-SIGN of DCs with down- regulating the mRNA level of NF-_KB.PsL-EGFmAb could also inhibited CD11c,CD83,CD80, CD86 expression,reduced secretion of IL-12,and inhibited T cell proliferation stimulated by DCs in vitro.Conclusion DCs may play a critical role on initiating the inflammatory injury of renal tubulointerstitium,and the inhibitory effect of PsL-EGFmAb on DC maturation and function correlated with the inhibition of DC-SIGN,which is mainly mediated through NF-_KB signaling pathway.