Analysis of Epstein-Barr viral DNA load, EBV-LMP2 specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes and levels of CD4+CD25+ T cells in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinomas positive for IgA antibody to EBV viral capsid antigen / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a herpesvirus commonly associated with several malignant diseases including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), which is a common cancer in Southeastern Asia. Previous studies showed that plasma levels of EBV-DNA might be a sensitive and reliable biomarker for the diagnosis, staging and evaluating of therapy for NPC. There are a few analyses of the levels of EBV-latent membrane protein 2 (LMP2)-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs) in patients with NPC. This study was conducted to investigate the levels of EBV-LMP2-specific CTLs, EBV-DNA load and the level of CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells in such patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From February 2006 to April 2006, 62 patients with NPC, 40 healthy virus carriers positive for EBV viral capsid antigen (EBV-IgA-VCA) and 40 controls were enrolled in the study. We used a highly sensitive ELISPOT assay, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and flow cytometry to measure the EBV-LMP2-specific CTL response, the EBV DNA load and the level of CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The EBV-LMP2-specific CTL responses of the samples from the control, healthy virus carriers and patients with NPC were significantly different from the LMP2 epitopes, with the control and healthy virus carrier samples displaying a stronger response in three cases. There were significant differences in EBV DNA load in serum between NPC and the healthy groups; patients with NPC at stages III or IV had significantly higher viral loads compared with those at stages I or II. A significantly higher percentage of CD4(+)CD25(+) T lymphocytes were detected in the patients, compared with healthy virus carriers and healthy controls. Moreover, patients with advanced stages of NPC (III and IV) had significantly higher percentages than the patients with early stages (I and II).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Patients with NPC are frequently unable to establish or maintain sufficient immunosurveillance to control proliferating B cells harboring EBV and to destroy the tumor cells that express immunodominant LMP2 proteins. Controlling the activity of CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells and elevating CD8(+) cells specific for LMP2 epitopes could be an effective immunotherapy for patients with NPC.</p>

Dendritic cells transfected with recombinant adenovirus Ad5F35-LMP2 induces LMP2 specific immunity mediated by cytotoxic T lymphocytes in vitro / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe whether dendritic cells (DCs) transfected with recombinant adenovirus Ad5F35-LMP2 induces LMP2 specific immunity mediated by cytotoxic T lymphocytes in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Dendritic cells have been generated in vitro, and cocultured with autologous T cell after the DCs were infected with Ad5F35-LMP2, then the proliferation of the induced T cells and their cytotoxic activity against CNE-2 tumor cells which express EBV-LMP2 protein on membrane were assessed by MTT method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The dendritic cells could be transfected with Ad5F35-LMP2 and the CTL activated by Ad5F35-LMP2-DC could effectively suppress the proliferation of CNE-2 cells compared with control groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The dendritic cells transfected with recombinant adenovirus Ad5F35-LMP2 showed cytotoxicity effect by activating T lymphocytes.</p>

Relationship between the expression of TrkB and anoikis resistance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma line / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the regulation of anoikis by tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB) in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma lines. METHODS; Expression levels of TrkB and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were evaluated by RT-PCR and Western blot. Colony formation ability of C666-1 was observed in soft agar. Proliferation rate and apoptosis, that change in cells by treating the TrkB inhibitor K252a and specificity ligand BDNF respectively under suspension culture, were measured by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and the flow cytometry assay. The expression change of TrkB, BDNF and phosphorylation of serine threonine kinase (p-Akt) were investigated by Western blot analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>TrkB and BDNF were identified in C666-1 cells. C666-1 cells could be decreased the proliferation of colony in soft agar by effect of K252a, but BDNF could make the colony prolific. K252a can inhibit the expression of TrkB in C666-1, and prevent p-Akt activation. And exogenous BDNF stimulated up-regulation TrkB and p-Akt, induced anoikis resistance.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>TrkB inhibits anoikis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. Inhibiton of TrkB by K252a can induce anoikis, and may prove particularly effective in treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.</p>

Oral candidal carriage and biotyping of Candida species in HIV positive patients / 中华口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the candidal carriage and the Candida species in HIV positive patients and to explore the relationship between oral candidal carriage and oral candidiasis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty-four HIV positive patients and 42 healthy controls were included in this study. Oral rinse technique was used to detect the candidal carriage. The isolates were identified using multiple measures, including Gram staining reaction, chlamydospore, pseudo-hyphal and hyphal production test, CHROMagar Candida test and API 20 C AUX yeast identification system.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Thirty-nine of 64 HIV positive cases were diagnosed as oral candidiasis. Seventy-four Candida strains were isolated from 52 of 64 HIV positive cases, only 7 strains were isolated from 42 healthy controls (P < 0.001). Of the 74 Candida strains isolated from HIV positive cases, 39 were Candida albicans, 15 Candida tropicalis, and 20 other 6 species.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>A high prevalence of oral candidiasis and high candidal carriage were found in HIV positive patients compared with those in controls. Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis were the major species. The biotyping of the species isolated from HIV positive patients showed more diversified compared to healthy people, which may suggest the decreased immune ability of the HIV positive patients.</p>

Immune responses induced by recombinant adenovirus Ad5F35-LMP2 in rhesus monkeys / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the specific cellular and humoral immune responses after immunization with recombinant adenovirus Ad5F35-LMP2 in rhesus monkeys.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixteen rhesuses were immunized with Ad5F35-LMP2 through intra-muscular injection in three groups: high dosage group (1.5 x 10(10) TCID(50)/rhesus), medium dosage group (1.5 x 10(9)TCID(50)/rhesus), low dosage group (1.5 x 10(8)TCID50/rhesus) and the last group was control (PBS 4 ml/rhesus). They were totally immunized three times at intervals of one month. The EBV-LMP2 specific cellular immune responses were tested during the 0, 4, 8, 12 weeks by Elispot after immunization respectively. And the titers of anti-LMP2 antibody were tested by EIA at the same time.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>EBV-LMP2 specific cellular and humoral immune responses which were induced by recombinant adenovirus Ad5F35-LMP2 can be found in all the three dosage groups. The potency of immune responses was related with the dosage of immunization. Higher dosage elicited more potent immune response.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The recombinant adenovirus Ad5F35-LMP2 could elicit LMP2 specific cellular and humoral immune responses in rhesus.</p>

A follow-up study on keratopathy in eyes after radiation therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To investigate the ocular complication after radiation therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC).METHODS: The authors performed a previous study on keratopathy in 213 NPC patients who received first stage radiation and had at least 10 months of follow-up. These patients were categorized into three groups depending on NPC clinic stages. Rates and proportions of keratopathy occurring in these groups were compared and analyzed with Chi-square Test and Spearman rank correlation coefficient.RESULTS: Radiation keratopathy developed in 19 patients, about 8.9% (19/213). The latency value was 3 to 30days. The effect of NPC clinic stages and radiation did on the development of keratopathy was not statistically significant (P＞0.05).CONCLUSION: The NPC clinic stages and radiation doses plays few effects on the development of keratopathy. It may play a key role that corneal nerves damage induced ocular surface diseases. It can not be excluded that individuals have different sensitivities to radiation.