Trastornos inmunitarios en paciente pediátrico con enfermedad de Behcet / Inmune disorders in a pediatric patient with Behcet's disease

Introducción: La enfermedad de Behcet es un proceso autoinflamatorio crónico que afecta arterias y venas de todos los calibres. Participan factores genéticos, microbianos e inmunológicos. Cursa con úlceras orales, genitales e inflamación ocular. Objetivo: Describir los trastornos inmunitarios en un paciente pediátrico con enfermedad de Behcet. Presentación del caso: Paciente masculino de 16 años de edad, con diagnóstico clínico de enfermedad de Behcet con marcadores serológicos de autoinmunidad negativa. Las inmunoglobulinas séricas exhibieron valores normales. Las subpoblaciones linfocitarias T CD3+CD4+ y CD3+CD8+ estuvieron elevadas. Las células B totales mostraron valores porcentuales normales, sin embargo, la subpoblación B CD5+CD19+ se encontró por encima de los valores referenciales. El paciente respondió favorablemente en relación con el curso de las infecciones a la terapia con inmunoestimulantes. Conclusiones: El tratamiento para la enfermedad de Behcet debe ser individualizado. Se debe tener en cuenta la gravedad del órgano afectado y el índice de recurrencias. Se requiere de un grupo interdisciplinario para llegar al adecuado control de la enfermedad.

Introduction: Behcet's disease is a chronic autoinflammatory process, of low frequency and unknown etiology that affects arteries and veins of all sizes, where genetic, microbial and immunological factors participate. It presents with oral and genital ulcers and ocular inflammation. Objective: To evaluate the immune disorders in a pediatric patient with Behcet's disease. Case presentation: A 16-year-old male patient with a clinical diagnosis of Behcet's disease with negative autoimmunity serological markers. Immunoglobulins exhibited normal values. CD3+CD4+ and CD3+CD8+T lymphocyte subpopulations were elevated. The B cells showed normal percentage values, however the CD5+CD19+ subpopulation B was found to be above the reference values. The patient responded favorably in relation to the course of the infections, to the therapy with immune stimulants. Conclusions: Treatment must be individualized, taking into account the severity of the affected organ and the recurrence rate. An interdisciplinary group is required to achieve adequate control of the disease.

Antitumor and Immunostimulating Activities of Elfvingia applanata Hot Water Extract on Sarcoma 180 Tumor-bearing ICR Mice

Elfvingia applanata, a medicinal mushroom belonging to Basidiomycota, has been used in the effort to cure cancers of the esophagus and stomach, and is also known to have inhibitory effects on hepatitis B virus infection. The hot water soluble fraction (as Fr. HW) was extracted from fruiting bodies of the mushroom. In vitro cytotoxicity tests showed that hot water extract was not cytotoxic against cancer cell lines such as Sarcoma 180, HT-29, HepG2, and TR at concentrations of 10~2,000 microg/mL. Intraperitoneal injection with Fr. HW resulted in a life prolongation effect of 45.2% in mice previously inoculated with Sarcoma 180. Treatment of Fr. HW resulted in a 2.53-fold increase in the numbers of murine spleen cells at a concentration of 50 microg/mL, compared with control. Incubation of murine spleen cells with Fr. HW at a concentration of 500 microg/mL resulted in improved immune-potwntiating activity of B lymphocytes through an 8.3-folds increase in alkaline phosphatase activity, compared with control. Fr. HW generated 12.5 microM of nitric oxide (NO) when cultured with RAW 264.7, a mouse macrophage cell line, at the concentration of 50 microg/mL, while lipopolysaccharide, a positive control, produced 15.2 microM of NO. Therefore, the results suggested that antitumor activities of Fr. HW from E. applanata might, in part, be due to host mediated immunostimulating activity.

Analysis of the Chemical Constituents of Agaricus brasiliensis

This study examined the chemical composition of A. blasiliensis and the chemical structural properties of an immuno-stimulating polysaccharide. The amino acids, free sugars, and organic acids by HPLC and fatty acids by GC were analyzed. The immuno-stimulating substance from A. blasiliensis was extracted with hot water and purified by ethanol precipitation. It underwent ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and gel filtration on Toyopearl HW 65F. Through GP-HPLC, the substance was found to be homogeneous. Its chemical structure was determined by 13C-NMR. Fatty acids, organic acids, and sugar alcohol composition consisted exclusively of linoleic acid, fumaric acid and mannitol, respectively. The amino acids were mainly glutamic acid, glycine, and arginine. By 13C-NMR analysis, the immuno-stimulating substance was identified as beta-(1-->3) (1-->6)-glucan, composed of a backbone with (1-->3)-linked D-glucopyranosyl residues branching a (1-->6)-linked D-glucopyranosyl residue. The beta-glucan from A. blasiliensis showed pronounced immuno-stimulating activity on the antibody-production ability of B-lymphocytes by the hemolytic suspension assay. In these results, A. blasiliensis was estimated to have potent pharmacological properties and potential nutritional values.

Observations on protective immunity in mice induced by recombinant Schistosoma japonicum Sj14FABP through several adjuvant formulations / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To test the protective immunity in mice induced by recombinant Schistosoma japonicum Sj14FABP through several adjuvant formulations. Methods The recombinant Schistosoma japonicum Sj14FABP was prepared by expression in E. coli as a GST fusion protein (rSj14/GST) and used to vaccinate outbred Kunming mice by using complete Freund's adjuvant (FCA)/incomplete Freund's adjuvant (FIA), Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and the immunostimulating complex (ISCOM) as adjuvant respectively. Results The purified recombinant protein rSj14/GST was immunogenic in mice, and 34.3% and 36.0% worm reduction rates were obtained in outbred Kunming mice immunized intradermally with BCG adjuvant and immunized subcutaneously with ISCOM adjuvant respectively, compared with non-vaccinated control group. However, intramuscularly vaccination with rSj14/GST in FCA/FIA was not protective, although the high level of IgG antibody was induced. Conclusion Both BCG and ISCOM are suitable adjuvants for rSj14/GST.

Antiinflammatory,immunological and analgesic effects of active constituents of Chinese traditional medicine / 中国药理学通报

The effects of active constituents of traditional Chinese medicine are grossly divided into four categories, i.e. antiinflammatory , immunosuppressive , immunostimulating and analgesic effects. This papes reviews these effects and related mechanisms of common researched active constituents.

The reversal effects of recombinant human augmenter of liver regeneration to immunocomplex induced liver fibrosis / 中国病理生理杂志

To observe the anti-fibrosis activity of recombinant human augmenter of liver regeneration (hALR). METHODS: Albumin induced rat model of liver fibrosis was established and hALR was given peritoneally after the model production. Serum concentration of alanine aminotransferase(ALT), aspartic aminotransferase(AST), lactate dehydrogenase(LDH), hepatic collagen contents and pathological examination were selected as observing parameter. RESULTS: Recombinant human augmenter of liver regeneration (hALR) could decrease ALT, AST, LDH concentration of fibrotic rats. The measurements of hepatic collagen contents showed that hepatic collagen contents in hALR treatment group was much lower than those of model group and negative control group. Pathological examination also indicated that the degree of liver fibrosis in hALR treatment group was attenuated in comparison with those of model group and negative control group. CONCLUSION: Recombinant human augmenter of liver regeneration (hALR) had reversal effects on immunocomplex induced rat liver fibrosis.