Changes in peripheral blood T helper 9 cells and interleukin-9 in children in the acute stage of Kawasaki disease / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the changes in the expression levels of peripheral blood T helper 9 (Th9) cells and cytokine interleukin-9 (IL-9) in children in the acute stage of Kawasaki disease (KD) and their clinical significance.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 45 children in the acute stage of KD who were treated from April 2014 to July 2015 were enrolled, and the children were followed up in the recovery stage. Another 45 healthy children who underwent physical examination were enrolled as the control group. Flow cytometry was used to measure the percentage of peripheral blood Th9 cells, and ELISA was used to measure the serum level of IL-9.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The children in the acute stage of KD showed a significantly higher percentage of Th9 cells and a significantly higher serum level of IL-9 compared with those in the recovery stage and the control group (P<0.05). The percentage of Th9 cells and serum level of IL-9 showed no significant differences between the children in the recovery stage and those in the control group (P>0.05). In the acute stage, the percentage of Th9 cells was positively correlated with the levels of IL-9, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), platelet count (PLT), and globulin (r=0.624, 0.324, 0.402, 0.382, 0.467, and 0.386 respectively, all P<0.05), but negatively correlated with serum albumin (r=-0.306, P<0.05). The serum level of IL-9 was positively correlated with the levels of CRP, PCT, ESR, PLT, and globulin (r=0.365, 0.456, 0.403, 0.423, and 0.453 respectively, all P<0.05), but negatively correlated with serum albumin (r=-0.343, P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The children in the acute stage of KD show significant increases in the percentage of peripheral Th9 cells and serum cytokine IL-9 level, which return to normal in the recovery stage. In the acute stage of KD, the expression levels of Th9 and IL-9 are closely correlated with laboratory markers. The results suggest that Th9 cells and IL-9 play important roles in the pathogenesis and outcome of KD.</p>

Expression of CD117 in human testicular germ cell tumors and its diagnostic value for seminoma and nonseminoma / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the expression of CD117 in human testicular germ cell tumors and its value in the differential diagnosis of seminoma and nonseminoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seventy-four human testicular germ cell tumor specimens were studied by ABC kit immunohistochemical staining detection using CD117 monoclonal antibodies. The immunoreaction scores (IRS) of all the specimens were calculated and analysed for their clinical significance.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the 74 germ cell tumors, 31 out of 32 (9 6.9%) seminomas showed positive staining of the CD117 mostly on the cell membrane. Four of 31 (12.9%) nonseminomas displayed a weak positive staining of CD117 only in the cytoplasm of a few cells. In 10 of 11 mixed germ cell tumors, a relatively weak expression of CD117 was shown only in the seminoma component. The CD117 expression was diagnostically decreased from seminoma to mixed seminoma and to nonseminoma successively, with IRS of 6.82 +/- 2.76, 1.25 +/- 0.42 and 0.60 +/- 0.16, respectively. There was a significant difference in the CD117 expression between seminoma and nonseminoma (P < 0.05). CD 117 proteins were positively expressed in all the 20 specimens of the normal testis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The detection of CD117 by immunohistochemical staining using CD117 monoclonal antibodies is a newly developed useful method for differentiating seminoma and nonseminoma.</p>