Host protection against Omicron BA.2.2 sublineages by prior vaccination in spring 2022 COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai / 医学前沿

The Omicron family of SARS-CoV-2 variants are currently driving the COVID-19 pandemic. Here we analyzed the clinical laboratory test results of 9911 Omicron BA.2.2 sublineages-infected symptomatic patients without earlier infection histories during a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Shanghai in spring 2022. Compared to an earlier patient cohort infected by SARS-CoV-2 prototype strains in 2020, BA.2.2 infection led to distinct fluctuations of pathophysiological markers in the peripheral blood. In particular, severe/critical cases of COVID-19 post BA.2.2 infection were associated with less pro-inflammatory macrophage activation and stronger interferon alpha response in the bronchoalveolar microenvironment. Importantly, the abnormal biomarkers were significantly subdued in individuals who had been immunized by 2 or 3 doses of SARS-CoV-2 prototype-inactivated vaccines, supporting the estimation of an overall 96.02% of protection rate against severe/critical disease in the 4854 cases in our BA.2.2 patient cohort with traceable vaccination records. Furthermore, even though age was a critical risk factor of the severity of COVID-19 post BA.2.2 infection, vaccination-elicited protection against severe/critical COVID-19 reached 90.15% in patients aged ≽ 60 years old. Together, our study delineates the pathophysiological features of Omicron BA.2.2 sublineages and demonstrates significant protection conferred by prior prototype-based inactivated vaccines.

Host protection against Omicron BA.2.2 sublineages by prior vaccination in spring 2022 COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai / 医学前沿

The Omicron family of SARS-CoV-2 variants are currently driving the COVID-19 pandemic. Here we analyzed the clinical laboratory test results of 9911 Omicron BA.2.2 sublineages-infected symptomatic patients without earlier infection histories during a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Shanghai in spring 2022. Compared to an earlier patient cohort infected by SARS-CoV-2 prototype strains in 2020, BA.2.2 infection led to distinct fluctuations of pathophysiological markers in the peripheral blood. In particular, severe/critical cases of COVID-19 post BA.2.2 infection were associated with less pro-inflammatory macrophage activation and stronger interferon alpha response in the bronchoalveolar microenvironment. Importantly, the abnormal biomarkers were significantly subdued in individuals who had been immunized by 2 or 3 doses of SARS-CoV-2 prototype-inactivated vaccines, supporting the estimation of an overall 96.02% of protection rate against severe/critical disease in the 4854 cases in our BA.2.2 patient cohort with traceable vaccination records. Furthermore, even though age was a critical risk factor of the severity of COVID-19 post BA.2.2 infection, vaccination-elicited protection against severe/critical COVID-19 reached 90.15% in patients aged ≽ 60 years old. Together, our study delineates the pathophysiological features of Omicron BA.2.2 sublineages and demonstrates significant protection conferred by prior prototype-based inactivated vaccines.

Application of quantitative detection of multiple-source cytomegalovirus DNA in diagnosis of cytomegalovirus pneumonia after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation / 器官移植

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic value of quantitative detection of cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA from different sources [plasma, sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)] for CMV pneumonia after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Methods Clinical data of 405 recipients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 19 recipients diagnosed with CMV pneumonia were assigned into the CMV pneumonia group, and 229 recipients with CMV viremia alone, 11 recipients without CMV pneumonia who received fiberoptic bronchoscopy and 16 recipients diagnosed with bacterial or fungal pneumonia based on pathogenic evidence receiving sputum culture were assigned into the control A, B and C groups, respectively. The incidence of CMV pneumonia was summarized. The CMV DNA load of specimens from different sources (plasma, sputum and BALF) of recipients with CMV pneumonia was analyzed. The clinical prognosis of recipients with CMV pneumonia was evaluated. Results Among 405 recipients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, 19 cases developed CMV pneumonia, and the overall incidence of CMV pneumonia was 4.7%(19/405). The CMV DNA load in the plasma, sputum and BALF of recipients with CMV pneumonia was higher than those in the control A, B and C groups (all P < 0.05). In the 19 recipients, 12 cases were cured after antiviral treatment and 7 died from treatment failure(3 cases abandoned treatment). The fatality was 37%(7/19). Conclusions Quantitative detection of CMV DNA in the plasma, sputum and BALF may increase the diagnostic rate of CMV pneumonia, thereby improving clinical prognosis of recipients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Pharmaceutical strategies to extend pulmonary exposure of inhaled medicines

Pulmonary administration route has been extensively exploited for the treatment of local lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and respiratory infections, and systemic diseases such as diabetes. Most inhaled medicines could be cleared rapidly from the lungs and their therapeutic effects are transit. The inhaled medicines with extended pulmonary exposure may not only improve the patient compliance by reducing the frequency of drug administration, but also enhance the clinical benefits to the patients with improved therapeutic outcomes. This article systematically reviews the physical and chemical strategies to extend the pulmonary exposure of the inhaled medicines. It starts with an introduction of various physiological and pathophysiological barriers for designing inhaled medicines with extended lung exposure, which is followed by recent advances in various strategies to overcome these barriers. Finally, the applications of the inhaled medicines with extended lung exposure for the treatment of various diseases and the safety concerns associated to various strategies to extend the pulmonary exposure of the inhaled medicines are summarized.

A homogenous nanoporous pulmonary drug delivery system based on metal-organic frameworks with fine aerosolization performance and good compatibility

Pulmonary drug delivery has attracted increasing attention in biomedicine, and porous particles can effectively enhance the aerosolization performance and bioavailability of drugs. However, the existing methods for preparing porous particles using porogens have several drawbacks, such as the inhomogeneous and uncontrollable pores, drug leakage, and high risk of fragmentation. In this study, a series of cyclodextrin-based metal-organic framework (CD-MOF) particles containing homogenous nanopores were delicately engineered without porogens. Compared with commercial inhalation carrier, CD-MOF showed excellent aerosolization performance because of the homogenous nanoporous structure. The great biocompatibility of CD-MOF in pulmonary delivery was also confirmed by a series of experiments, including cytotoxicity assay, hemolysis ratio test, lung function evaluation,

Bioactive natural compounds against human coronaviruses: a review and perspective

Coronaviruses (CoVs), a family of enveloped positive-sense RNA viruses, are characterized by club-like spikes that project from their surface, unusually large RNA genome, and unique replication capability. CoVs are known to cause various potentially lethal human respiratory infectious diseases, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and the very recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Unfortunately, neither drug nor vaccine has yet been approved to date to prevent and treat these diseases caused by CoVs. Therefore, effective prevention and treatment medications against human coronavirus are in urgent need. In the past decades, many natural compounds have been reported to possess multiple biological activities, including antiviral properties. In this article, we provided a comprehensive review on the natural compounds that interfere with the life cycles of SARS and MERS, and discussed their potential use for the treatment of COVID-19.

Leukotriene B4 in equine asthma syndrome: what do we know so far? / Leucotrieno B4 na síndrome asmática equina: o que sabemos até o momento?

The term "equine asthma syndrome" (EAS) was recently proposed due to the resemblance of the equine disease to human asthma. Leukotrienes cause constriction of the bronchi, especially in the lower airways and increase mucus secretion in the respiratory system. Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) has been discovered as a strong chemotactic factor, which plays a role in neutrophil migration. The immunologic background of EAS remains not fully elucidated despite many studies on the pathogenesis. This study aimed to evaluate the LTB4 concentration in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of horses with and without pulmonary inflammatory disease. Thirty-five mixed breed horses were studied and LTB4 was determined by using specific ELISA Kit. The horses were grouped by 2 different criteria for statistical analysis of data: 1) according to the values for BALF citology and 2) according to the detection of LTB4 in BALF. There was significant difference of effect of age on the LTB4 detection in equine BALF. Younger animals were the majority where it was possible to detect LTB4 values in LBA. In conclusion, there was an effect of age on the detection of LTB4 in equine BALF, where LTB4 levels were more easily detected in younger animals than older animals and the results of this study raise the possibility of considering future studies with the objective of establishing the real role and the best moment to detect LTB4 in BALF of the equine asthma syndrome.(AU)

Recentemente, o termo "síndrome da asma equina" (SAE) foi proposto devido à semelhança da doença equina à asma humana. Os leucotrienos causam constrição dos brônquios, especialmente nas vias aéreas posteriores e aumentam a secreção de muco no sistema respiratório. O leucotrieno B4 (LTB4) foi descoberto como um forte fator quimiotático, que desempenha um papel na migração de neutrófilos. O fundo imunológico do SAE permanece não completamente elucidado apesar de muitos estudos sobre a patogênese. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a concentração de LTB4 no lavado broncoalveolar (LBA) de equinos com e sem doença inflamatória pulmonar. Trinta e cinco cavalos de raças mistas foram estudados e o LTB4 foi determinado usando o kit ELISA específico. Os animais foram agrupados por dois critérios diferentes para análise estatística dos dados: 1) de acordo com os valores para citologia do LBA e 2) de acordo com a detecção do LTB4 no LBA. Houve diferença significativa do efeito da idade na detecção do LTB4 no LBA equino. Os animais mais jovens foram a maioria onde foi possível detectar os valores de LTB4 no LBA. Em conclusão, houve um efeito da idade na detecção de LTB4 em LBA equino, onde os níveis de LTB4 foram mais facilmente detectados em animais jovens do que em animais mais velhos e foi possível detectar a concentração de LTB4 no LBA equino e os resultados deste estudo levantam a possibilidade de considerar futuros estudos com o objetivo de estabelecer o real papel e o melhor momento para detectar LTB4 no LBA da síndrome asmática equina.(AU)

Diagnostic Utility of Bronchoalveolar Lavage Xpert MTB/RIF Assay in Suspected Cases of Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Introduction: Limited data on the diagnostic accuracy of the Xpert MTB/RIF assay using bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis have been reported in India. The aim of this study was to evaluate Xpert MTB/RIF on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in suspected PTB patients by comparing with AFB smear microscopy and culture Material and methods: A cross sectional observational study was carried on a total of 450 bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were processed by Xpert MTB/RIF between January 2018 and December 2018. Culture results were considered as the gold standard for diagnosis of TB. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and negative predictive value (NPV) for the diagnosis of active PTB were calculated using the website http://vassarstats. net/clin1.html. SPSS statistics version 17.0 software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was used for the statistical analysis. Results: Xpert MTB/RIF had a sensitivity of 97.05% (95% CI 88.8-99.4) while the specificity of 90.05% ( 95% CI 86.4-92.7) in culture confirmed cases and those for smear microscopy was 36.7% (95% CI 25.6-49.3) and 100% (95% CI 98.7-100) respectively. Conclusion: The Xpert MTB/RIF assay is a rapid and simple technique with significantly higher sensitivity for diagnosing pulmonary TB compared to smear microscopy.(p < 0.005

Inhalation treatment of primary lung cancer using liposomal curcumin dry powder inhalers

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Traditional chemotherapy causes serious toxicity due to the wide bodily distribution of these drugs. Curcumin is a potential anticancer agent but its low water solubility, poor bioavailability and rapid metabolism significantly limits clinical applications. Here we developed a liposomal curcumin dry powder inhaler (LCD) for inhalation treatment of primary lung cancer. LCDs were obtained from curcumin liposomes after freeze-drying. The LCDs had a mass mean aerodynamic diameter of 5.81 μm and a fine particle fraction of 46.71%, suitable for pulmonary delivery. The uptake of curcumin liposomes by human lung cancer A549 cells was markedly greater and faster than that of free curcumin. The high cytotoxicity on A549 cells and the low cytotoxicity of curcumin liposomes on normal human bronchial BEAS-2B epithelial cells yielded a high selection index partly due to increased cell apoptosis. Curcumin powders, LCDs and gemcitabine were directly sprayed into the lungs of rats with lung cancer through the trachea. LCDs showed higher anticancer effects than the other two medications with regard to pathology and the expression of many cancer-related markers including VEGF, malondialdehyde, TNF-, caspase-3 and BCL-2. LCDs are a promising medication for inhalation treatment of lung cancer with high therapeutic efficiency.

Simultaneous Determination of Contents of 6 Components in Aerial Part of Rheum tanguticum Maxim.ex Balf by HPLC Method / 中国中医药信息杂志

Objective To develop an HPLC method to determine the contents of chrysophanol, emodin, physcion, aloe-emodin, sennoside A, and sennoside B simultaneously in the aerial part of Rheum tanguticum Maxim.ex Balf. Methods The analysis was achieved with an Agilent ZORBAX SB-C18 analytic column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) by gradient elution of methanol-0.1％ phosphoric acid in water gradient elution system (0 min, 70％ B; 5 min, 65％ B;8–16 min, 60％ B; 18–23 min, 55％ B; 25–30 min, 45％ B; 32–39 min, 35％ B; 49–57 min, 24％ B; 65–72 min, 20％ B). The flow rate was 1.0 mL/min; detection wavelength was 254 nm; the column temperature was room temperature; the quantification used external standard method. Results The peak areas and concentrations of chrysophanol, emodin, physcion, aloe-emodin, sennoside A, and sennoside B showed good linear relationship within a certain concentration range (r≥0.9995); the RSD of precision was 0.75％–1.17％; the RSD of repeatability was 0.99％–2.06％; the RSD of stability was 0.97％–1.76％; the average recoveries were 99.7％–100.4％. The results showed that there were differences in content between the root and aerial part of Rheum tanguticum Maxim.ex Balf. Conclusion HPLC method for simultaneous determination of contents of 6 contents of the aerial part of Rheum tanguticum Maxim.ex Balf can be used as the references for quality control.

Cell suspension and level of IL-17 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of children with labor pneumonia combined with mycoplasma pneumonia and its clinical significance / 中国内镜杂志

Objective To explore cell suspension and level of IL-17 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of children with labor pneumonia combined with mycoplasma pneumonia and its clinical significance. Methods 87 children with labor pneumonia who had been done BAL were divided into CPIS ≥ 6 group and CPIS 0.05). The percentage of columnar epithelial cells in CPIS < 6 group were higher than CPIS ≥ 6, how-ever, macrophagocyte was lower ( < 0.05). The percentage of neutrophils are related with both MP-DNA ( = 0.48,= 0.000) and IL-17 ( =0.49, =0.000). Conclusions The composition of BALF is more appropriate to react the circumstance of lobar pneumonia. When lobar pneumonia occurs, columnar epithelial cells are damaged, macrophagocyte gathered to participate in the inflammatory response. In Mycoplasma pneumonia infection group, IL-17 raises neutrophils to resist infection, NE%in BALF can indirectly reflect the mycoplasma infection degree.

Monitoring and its clinical significance of SP-D and interleukin-8 levels in bron-choalveolar lavage fluid of ACOS patients undergoing mechanical ventilation / 中国免疫学杂志

Objective:To investigate the concentration of pulmonary surfactant-associated protein D ( SP-D) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of ACOS patients undergoing mechanical ventilation (MV). Methods:38 patients with ACOS undergoing MV were involved in the study. According to the APACHEⅡscore, the patients were divided into the remission group (n=20) and the aggravation group (n=18). BALF was collected on the 1st and 5th days after MV. The content of IL-8 and SP-D in BALF was measured by ELISA. The levels of IL-8 and SP-D in BALF of the patients with different severity were compared. Results:The level of SP-D was significantly higher on the 5th day than on the 1st day in the remission group,and it decreased more ob-viously in the worsening group (P<0. 05). The level of IL-8 decreased gradually in the remission group but increased gradually in the worsening group. The level of SP-D was negatively correlated with IL-8 level and APACHEⅡ score. Conclusion:The findings suggest that the levels of SP-D and IL-8 in BALF are correlated with prognosis of ACOS patients undergoing MV,and it may prove to be useful as a guidance of therapy and prognosis.

Protective Effect of Fibrauretin Injection Against Acute Lung Injury Induced by Lipopolysaccharide in Mice / 昆明医科大学学报

Objective To investigate the protective effect of fibrauretin injection against acute lung injury induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in mice.Methods Seventy-two healthy male adult Kunming mice were randomly divided into 6 goups:normal control group,LPS group (intratracheal instilation of 5 mg/kg of LPS),hydrocortisone group (intraperitoneal injection of 3.3 mg/kg of hydrocortisone,once daily for 3 days,and intratracheal instilation of 5 mg/kg of LPS on the 4th day) and low dose,medium dose and high dose of fibrauretin groups (intraperitoneal injection of 2,10 and 50 mg/kg of fibrauretin,respectively,once daily for 3 days,and intratracheal instilation of 5 mg/kg of LPS on the 4th day).The mice in each group were sacrificed by dislocation 24 h after intratracheal instilation of LPS.The lung tissues of partial mice in each group were extracted and weighed to calculate the lung coefficients,and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed in partial mice in each group to collect the BALF for counting the inflammatory cells.Results The lung cofficients of mice in LPS group were significantly higher than those in the normal control group (P＜0.05).The lung cofficients of mice in hydrocortisone group,low dose,medium dose and high dose of fibrauretin groups were significantly lower than those in LPS group (P ＜ 0.05).For the percentage of inflammatory cells in BALF and the percentage of neutrophils in inflammatory cells,LPS group was significantly higher than the normal control group (P＜0.01),and compared with LPS group,hydrocortisone group,low dose,medium dose and high dose of fibrauretin groups were significantly decreased (P＜0.01).Conclusion Fibrauretin injection can significantly ameliorate the inflammatory reaction degree in mice with acute lung injury induced by LPS.

Andrographolide sulfonate ameliorates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury in mice by down-regulating MAPK and NF-κB pathways

Acute lung injury (ALI) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a severe, life-threatening medical condition characterized by widespread inflammation in the lungs, and is a significant source of morbidity and mortality in the patient population. New therapies for the treatment of ALI are desperately needed. In the present study, we examined the effect of andrographolide sulfonate, a water-soluble form of andrographolide (trade name: Xi-Yan-Ping Injection), on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI and inflammation. Andrographolide sulfonate was administered by intraperitoneal injection to mice with LPS-induced ALI. LPS-induced airway inflammatory cell recruitment and lung histological alterations were significantly ameliorated by andrographolide sulfonate. Protein levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum were reduced by andrographolide sulfonate administration. mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in lung tissue were also suppressed. Moreover, andrographolide sulfonate markedly suppressed the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) as well as p65 subunit of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). In summary, these results suggest that andrographolide sulfonate ameliorated LPS-induced ALI in mice by inhibiting NF-κB and MAPK-mediated inflammatory responses. Our study shows that water-soluble andrographolide sulfonate may represent a new therapeutic approach for treating inflammatory lung disorders.

Synthesis of peptide of BALF4 gene of Epstein-Barr virus and application in the detection of nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 实用医学杂志

Objective To analyze the application of recombinant gp125 proteins in serological diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods B cell epitopes of EBV gp125 protein were forecasted by internet server and the peptides were synthesized and coated to microplate for the detection of EBV-IgA antibody in NPC patients and healthy donors by ELISA. Results Six peptides were synthesized, wherein two showed low specificity and others displayed significantly higher positive rate in the NPC group than in the healthy group (P <0.001). Conclusion The BALF4 gene peptides are successfully synthesized and epitopes with high specificity and strong immunogenicity are screened for the preparation of gp125 antigen with high specificity and sensitivity.

Diagnostic value of 4 new tumor markers in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in the diagnosis of peripheral lung cancer / 解放军医学杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical value of heat shock protein 90α (HSP90α), glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1), ubiquitin specific peptidase 8 (USP8) and chitinase 3-like 1 (CHI3L1) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum for diagnosis and evaluation of the extent of peripheral lung cancer. Methods The levels of HSP90α, GSTP1, USP8 and CHI3L1 of in BALF and serum were measured and compared among 100 patients with peripheral lung cancer (PLC) and 50 patients with benign lung diseases (BLD) by ELISA. The results were compared and analyzed. Results The average content of HSP90α and CHI3L1 in BALF of PLC patients were higher than that in BLD patients (P0.05). The levels of HSP90α and CHI3L1 in BALF of the patients with small nodular lung cancer group (primary focus diameter ≤1cm) and BLD patients showed no significant difference (P>0.05). The levels of GSTP1 and USP8 in BALF and serum of PLC patients and that of BLD patients showed no significant difference (P>0.05). The levels of HSP90α, GSTP1, USP8 and CHI3L1 in BALF and serum showed no significant correlation with other factors, such as the patient's age, pathological classification (adenocarcinoma or squamous carcinoma) and stage of lung cancer (phase to ). The level of CHI3L1 in BALF was correlated to the diameter of the primary foci (P<0.05), while the levels of other lung cancer markers in BALF and serum showed no significant correlation with diameter of primary focus. Conclusion Detection of tumor markers such as HSP90α and CHI3L1 from patients' BALF has a diagnostic value for PLC, and is superior to the examinations of patients' serum specimens. The measurement of HSP90α in BALF shows better clinical value, and it may contribute to the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary carcinoma.

Chemical constituents in leaves of Ostryopsis nobilis and their anti-oxidant activities / 中草药

Objective: To study the chemical constituents of Ostryopsis nobilis and their anti-oxidant activities. Methods: The chemical constituents were isolated and purified by various column chromatographic methods. Their structures were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral analyses. Results: Twenty-three compounds were isolated from the 95% ethanol extract and identified as loliolide (1), maslinic acid (2), vanillic acid (3), 3β-(3, 4-dihydroxycinnamoyl)-erythrodiol (4), dammarenediol II 3-caffeate (5), pinoresinol (6), quercetin (7), daucosterol (8), kaempferol (9), 3, 5-dihydroxy-1, 7-bis (4H-hydroxyphenyl) heptane (10), alnusdiol (11), casuarinondiol (12), quercetin-3-O-α-L-arabinoside (13), isoquercetin (14), 2, 3-dihydroxylbenzoic acid (15), isoquercetin-6″-butyl acetate (16), isoquercetin-6″-benzoate (17), 4″-trans-p-coumaroyl-kaempferol-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside (18), 4″-cis-p-coumaroyl-kaempferol-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside (19), maslinic acid-28-O-β-D-glucoside (20), gallic acid (21), betulatetraol (22), and L-chiroinositol (23). Conclusion: All the compounds are isolated from the plants in this genus for the first time. Diarylheptanoid compounds and other ten monomer compounds exhibit the good scavenging activities against 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl (DPPH), and O. nobilis extracts show moderate anti-oxidant effects.

Clinical analysis of pneumocystis carinii infection of 1996 cases of HIV/AIDS patients / 中国基层医药

Objective To investigate the infection status of HIV/AIDS patients complicated with pneumocystis Carinii Poneumonia(PCP),and the role of CD4+ T lymphocyte in PCP.Methods PC was detected by Giemsa's staining and CD4+ T lymphocyte was counted by flow cytometry.Meanwhile,this text calculated and compared a series of indexes about PC infection,such as the total positive rate,the average annual positive rate,the average monthly positive rate,the positive rate between female and male,the positive rate between sputum and BALF specimens,and the relationship between the positive rate and CD4+ T lymphocyte count.Results The total positive rate about PC infection of the 1 806 eases of sputum specimens was 46.8％,and the incidence mainly from April to July during a year,and the positive rates were 46.3％ and 50.2％ for males and females respectively.The results showed that there were no significant differences when compared with the average annual positive rate ( P ＞ 0.05 ),but there were significant differences when compared with the average monthly positive rate ( P ＜ 0.05 ),the positive rate between female and male(P＞0.05),and among 3 formerly defined ranges of CD4+count(P ＜0.05).Conclusion Giemsa's staining showed the total positive rate was 46.8％ of the HIV/AIDS patients infected by PC with sputum specimens,which represented a seasonal fluctuation tendency.The positive rate of BALF was higher than that in sputum,and it increased with CD4+ count decreasing.Giemsa's staining was an efficient,simple and feasible way for PC detection and easy for generalization.Meanwhile,it is strongly relied on the operator's experience and skill.

Animal study of silicosis in respect of morbidity and mortality.

Silica activates release of biochemical substances in lungs. To evaluate duration dependent toxic effects of silica by biochemical changes in Broncho Alveolar Lavage Fluid (BALF) and by post-mortem findings we developed a series of rat silicosis. Based on duration of exposures, single intratracheal injection of quartz dust in saline to acute models (n=3) and inhalation of quartz dust with air to chronic models (n=3) were administered. Control rats received vehicle only. Group wise BALF was collected on completion of exposure periods. Post-mortem examination was performed. Protein, hydroxyproline, elastase and Elastase Inhibitory Capacity (EIC) in BALF were measured. Post-mortem examination revealed progressive fibro-nodular changes in lungs. Biochemical parameters excepting EIC in both models showed significant (p< 0.001) gradual rise. Duration dependent biochemical changes in BALF due to silica were found responsible for progressive morbidity and may be considered as early markers for diagnosis, thereby, preventing increasing morbidity and death.

Expression of VCA genes of Epstein-Barr virus in Pichia pastoris and clinical application / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Objective To analyze the application of recombinant VCA-BALF4(S) and VCA-BFRF3 proteins in serological diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods DNA extracted from the B95-8 cells was used as the templates in a polymerase chain reaction(PCR). VCA-BALF4 1008 bp (S) (aa 287-623) and VCA-BFRF3 531 bp(177 as) were generated and inserted into pPICZaA vector.The recombinant plasmids were transformed into GS115 yeast by electroporation. The yeast transformants in-duced by methanol expressed recombinant proteins. The recombinant proteins synthesized were coated to mi-croplate for detection of EBV-IgA antibody in NPC patients by ELISA. Results We have successfully se-cretly expressed the recombinant VCA-BALF4(S) and VCA-BFRF3 protein in the Pichia pastoris. The mo-lecular weight of products were approximately 37×10~3 and 18×10~3, respectively. The recombinant proteins VCA-BALF4(S) and VCA-BFRF3 in the culture supematant showed good immunoreactivity with IgA anti-bodies to EBV by Western blot. A novel ELISA was established using Pichia pastoris-expressed VCA-BALF4 (S) and VCA-BFRF3 proteins. Serum samples were collected from patients with NPC and healthy controls and using this ELISA tested. The sensitivity of VCA-BALF4(S) and VCA-BFRF3 tests in the NPC sera were 88.7% and 71.0%, whereas the specificity of normal individuals are 96.4% and 91.8% separately. Con-clusion The recombinant proteins BALF4 (S) and BFRF3 were highly secretly expressed in Pichia pastoris,the diagnostic value of two recombinant proteins in screening for NPC patients were primary evaluated and the valuable pPICZa-BALF4(S) yeast strain was obtained.