Downregulation of TIM-3 mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

The T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain (TIM) family is associated with autoimmune diseases, but its expression level in the immune cells of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients is not known. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the expression of TIM-3 mRNA is associated with pathogenesis of SLE. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis (qRT-PCR) was used to determine TIM-1, TIM-3, and TIM-4 mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 132 patients with SLE and 62 healthy controls. The PBMC surface protein expression of TIMs in PBMCs from 20 SLE patients and 15 healthy controls was assayed by flow cytometry. Only TIM-3 mRNA expression decreased significantly in SLE patients compared with healthy controls (P<0.001). No significant differences in TIM family protein expression were observed in leukocytes from SLE patients and healthy controls (P>0.05). SLE patients with lupus nephritis (LN) had a significantly lower expression of TIM-3 mRNA than those without LN (P=0.001). There was no significant difference in the expression of TIM-3 mRNA within different classes of LN (P>0.05). Correlation of TIM-3 mRNA expression with serum IgA was highly significant (r=0.425, P=0.004), but was weakly correlated with total serum protein (rs=0.283, P=0.049) and serum albumin (rs=0.297, P=0.047). TIM-3 mRNA expression was weakly correlated with the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI; rs=-0.272, P=0.032). Our results suggest that below-normal expression of TIM-3 mRNA in PBMC may be involved in the pathogenesis of SLE.

Studies on the development of DNA vaccine against Cysticercus cellulosae infection and its efficacy.

DNA vaccine against Cysticercus cellulosae infection was developed and its efficacy was tested. A pair of primers specific to antigen B gene of C. cellulosae was designed which amplified the gene successfully with RT-PCR. The gene was ligated to PV93 vector, and the recombinant of antigen B gene and PV93 was transformed to JM83 cells. The transformed JM83 cells were cultured in a large scale and the plasmid purified. Based on the recombinant plasmid. a DNA vaccine was developed and used to vaccinate two groups of experimental pigs. In each group, there was a routine vaccine, an enhanced vaccine and a control group. Groups 1 and 2 were challenged at 4 months and at 14 days post vaccination respectively with eggs of Taenia solium. The antibody response was also tested with ELISA. The results suggested that all animals vaccinated AgB gene DNA vaccine, no matter by routine or enhanced vaccine, their antibodies reached maximum peak 23 days post vaccination and decreased gradually. When the animals were challenged 4 months after vaccination, they had strong immunity and the parasites decrease rates were 91.2% and 93.1% respectively. When pigs vaccinated with AgB gene DNA vaccine were challenged 14 days post vaccination with 18,000 eggs/pig. The animals showed strong immunity and the parasite decrease rates were 99.5% and 84.9% respectively. However at that time, the antibodies did not reach the peak. While in the control group, the number of C. cellulosae was as many as 2,500. It was concluded that the pigs vaccinated with DNA vaccine had strong immunity against infection of eggs of T. solium.

Hepatitis B and C virus infection among adult women in Jilin Province, China: an urban-rural comparison in prevalence of infection markers.

Twin seroepidemiological surveys on prevalence of hepatitis B and C virus (HBV and HCV, respectively) infection were conducted on 100 adult women in total, 50 each in the provincial capital of Changchun and in a farming village in the vicinity in Jilin Province, northeast China. Positivity to three markers on HBV (ie HBsAg+, anti-HBs+, and anti-HBc+) was examined by RIA methods, and to one on HCV (anti-HCV+) by EIA. The results were evaluated in combination with two foregoing studies in Shandong and Shaanxi Provinces, and with special reference to possible urban-rural differences in prevalence. The prevalence of HBsAg+ cases was rather low (ie 9% when two groups were combined), but that of anti-HBs+ and anti-HBc+ cases was high, being 50% and 45%, respectively. Thus, the rate of HBV+ cases was 62%. The rate for HCV+ cases was 3%. The comparison of the prevalence between the city group and the village group showed that the rates for anti-HBs+ and HBV+ were significantly or marginally higher in the former group than in the latter, respectively. The HCV+ prevalence rate for the city group (4%) also tended to be higher than the corresponding rates for the village group (2%), although the difference was statistically insignificant. When evaluated together with the observation in Shandong and Shaanxi Provinces, it appears possible to generalize that the HBV infection prevalence is not higher and probably lower in rural areas than in urban areas, and that such may also be the case for the HCV infection prevalence.