[Effects of Apheresis Platelet Transfusion on PLT, MPV, PDW and PCT].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the changes of platelet count (PLT), plateletcrit (PCT), mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet distribution width (PDW) before and after apheresis platelet transfusion, the correlation between the parameters and their clinical significance. METHODS: A total of 38 patients who received apheresis platelet transfusion were selected, their results of blood routine test closest to the time point of apheresis platelet transfusion were consulted from hospital information system and the changes of PLT, PCT, MPV and PDW were compared before and after transfusion. The correlation between above parameters was analyzed. The correlation of body mass index (BMI) with the increased multiple and increased value after platelet infusion was also analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with pre-infusion, PLT and PCT significantly increased (both P <0.001) while MPV and PDW showed no significant difference after apheresis platelet transfusion (P >0.05). The difference of PLT and PCT before and after apheresis platelet transfusion had no correlation with PLT and PCT before transfusion (r =0.002, r =0.001), while the difference of MPV and PDW was negatively correlated with MPV and PDW before transfusion (r =-0.462, r =-0.610). The PLT growth rate was positively correlated with PCT growth rate before and after apheresis platelet transfusion (r =0.819). BMI was positively correlated with the increased multiple of PLT after infusion (r =0.721), but not with the increased value of PLT after infusion (r =0.374). CONCLUSION: Apheresis platelet transfusion can cause platelet parameters change and shows different characteristics. Characteristic changes of platelet parameters and their correlation can be used as reference indices to evaluate the efficacy of apheresis platelet transfusion.

Association of long non-coding RNA GAS5 and miR-21 levels in CD4+ T cells with clinical features of systemic lupus erythematosus.

The present study aimed to assess the expression of growth arrest-specific 5 (GAS5) and microRNA (miR)-21 in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and attempted to explore their association with clinical features. CD4+ T cells were isolated from peripheral blood of healthy donors and SLE patients by magnetic-activated cell sorting. GAS5 and miR-21 expression levels in cluster of differentiation (CD)4+ T cells were measured by reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The results revealed that GAS5 and miR-21 levels were significantly elevated in CD4+ T cells of patients with SLE compared with those in control subjects (P<0.05). Regarding clinical features, SLE patients with ulceration had higher GAS5 expression levels in CD4+ T cells than those without ulceration (P<0.05), and the expression of miR-21 was significantly higher in CD4+ T cells of SLE patients with low levels of complement component 3 (C3) than in those with normal levels of complement C3 (P<0.05). In conclusion, GAS5 and miR-21 in CD4+ T cells may serve as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and monitoring of the progression of SLE.

[Value of combined determination of neutrophil CD64 and procalcitonin in early diagnosis of neonatal bacterial infection].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value of combined determination of neutrophil CD64 and procalcitonin (PCT) in the early diagnosis of neonatal bacterial infection. METHODS: According to discharge diagnosis, 37 neonates with bacterial infection were divided into sepsis (n=15) and ordinary infection (non-sepsis) groups (n=22). Twenty-one neonates without infection who were hospitalized during the same period of time were enrolled as the control group. Venous blood samples were collected immediately after admission. Flow cytometry was used to measure the serum level of neutrophil CD64. Chemiluminescence and immune transmission turbidimetry were used to measure the serum levels of PCT and CRP respectively. RESULTS: The sepsis group had higher serum levels of neutrophil CD64, PCT, and CRP than the control group (P<0.01), the ordinary infection group had a higher serum level of neutrophil CD64 than the control group (P<0.01), and the sepsis group had higher serum levels of PCT and CRP than the ordinary infection group (P<0.01). The areas under the ROC curve (AUC) of neutrophil CD64, PCT, and CRP in diagnosing bacterial infection were 0.818, 0.818, and 0.704 respectively, and the AUC of combined neutrophil CD64 and PCT was 0.926. A combination of neutrophil CD64 and PCT had a sensitivity of 97.29% and an accuracy of 89.65% in the early diagnosis of neonatal bacterial infection.The sensitivity and accuracy were higher than those of a combination of CRP and neutrophil CD64 or PCT as well as neutrophil CD64, PCT, or CRP alone for the early diagnosis of neonatal bacterial infection. CONCLUSIONS: The combined determination of neutrophil CD64 and PCT can improve the sensitivity and accuracy in the diagnosis of neonatal bacterial infection, which helps with early identification of bacterial infection.

Fault-tolerant and finite-error localization for point emitters within the diffraction limit.

We implement a self-interference technique for determining the separation between two incoherent point sources. This method relies on image inversion interferometry and when used with the appropriate data analytics, it yields an estimate of the separation with finite-error, including the case when the sources overlap completely. The experimental results show that the technique has a good tolerance to noise and misalignment, making it an interesting consideration for high resolution instruments in microscopy or astronomy.

Effects of clostridium butyricum and bifidobacterium on BTLA expression on CD4+ T cells and lymphocyte differentiation in late preterm infants.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Probiotics is recognized to promote growth performance and immune function via balancing the intestinal microflora. Live clostridium butyricum and bifidobacterium combined powder (LCBBCP) has been widely to treat intestinal dysbacteriosis in newborns in China. This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of the combined probiotics on the expression of B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) on CD4+ T cells and the differentiation of lymphocyte subsets in late preterm infants. METHODS: Eighty eligible late preterm infants were equally randomized into LCBBCP therapy group (oral LCBBCP dissolved in formula milk before intake) and control group (treated with simple formula milk for preterm infants) by random digit table. Flow cytometry was used to determine the expression level of BTLA on CD4+ T cells and the percentage of individual subpopulation of lymphocytes in peripheral-blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from the late preterm infants in both groups. RESULTS: BTLA protein expression on CD4+ T cells showed no significant change in LCBBCP therapy group before and after intervention, yet was rapidly and significantly down-regulated in the controls. The percentage of increased CD4+ T cells, decreased CD8+ T cells and increased ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T cell proportion were seen in both groups after treatment, yet the increasing or decreasing extent in LCBBCP therapy group was more obvious than in control group. The proportion of NK cells and B lymphocytes remained no significant difference between the two groups before and after therapy. CONCLUSIONS: LCBBCP appears capable of facilitating the activation, proliferation and differentiation of T lymphocytes, which is beneficial to improving immunity in late preterm infants. The continuous high expression of BTLA on CD4+ T cells in LCBBCP therapy group may be involved in the inhibiting of excessive activation of T lymphocytes. Our findings may lay a basis for further clinical evaluation of the efficacies and wider clinical recommendation of probiotics containing live clostridium butyricum and bifidobacterium for late preterm infants.

CD28 family of receptors on T cells in chronic HBV infection: Expression characteristics, clinical significance and correlations with PD-1 blockade.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the overall clinical expression characteristics of the cluster of differentiation (CD)28 family receptors [CD28, inducible T-cell co-stimulator, programmed cell death protein 1 (PD­1), cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 and B­ and T-lymphocyte attenuator] on T cells in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), analyze the correlations among these receptors and the clinical parameters, and to investigate the effects of PD­1 blockade on the receptor expression profiles, T­cell function and other biological effects. The expression characteristics of the CD28 family of receptors, the effects of PD­1 blockade on the receptor expression profiles and the levels of interferon (IFN)­Î³ were investigated in the T cells of patients with CHB. In addition, the transcription factor, T­box 21 (T­bet) and GATA binding protein 3 (GATA­3) mRNA expression levels were investigated in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with CHB. The expression levels of the CD28 family receptors in the T cells of patients with CHB demonstrated distinct characteristics , for example levels of PD­1 and CTLA­4 on CD4 T cells and ICOS, PD­1, and BTLA on CD8 T cells were increased in cells from patients with CHB compared with those from the healthy individuals. A significant positive correlation was demonstrated among the serum HBV DNA titers and the levels of PD­1 on CD8+ T cells with the highest expression of PD­1 corresponding to viral levels >106 IU/ml. A significant positive correlation was observed between the serum HBV DNA titers and the expression levels of BTLA on CD8+ T cells with the highest expression of BTLA corresponding to viral levels >106 IU/ml. PD­1 blockade altered the expression profiles of CD28 family receptors in the T cells of patients with CHB, partly enhanced T cell function and increased the ratio of T­bet/GATA­3 mRNA in PBMCs. Thus, CD28 family receptors are potential clinical indicators for the rapid monitoring of changes in T cell function during CHB treatment. Furthermore, PD­1 blockade has a therapeutic potential that may be enhanced by modulating the expression of co-stimulatory and -inhibitory receptors of the CD28 family.

Upregulation of toll-like receptor 4 on T cells in PBMCs is associated with disease aggravation of HBV-related acute-on-chronic liver failure.

Immune-mediated inflammatory injury is an important feature of the disease aggravation of hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). Toll-like receptors (TLRs) have been shown previously to play a pivotal role in the activation of innate immunity. The purpose of this study was to characterize the TLR4 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of ACLF patients and its possible role in the disease aggravation. Twelve healthy subjects, 15 chronic HBV-infected (CHB) patients and 15 ACLF patients were enrolled in this study. The TLR4 expression in PBMCs and T cells of all subjects was examined by real-time PCR and flow cytometry. The correlation of TLR4 expression on T cells with the markers of disease aggravation was evaluated in ACLF patients. The ability of TLR4 ligands stimulation to induce inflammatory cytokine production in ACLF patients was analyzed by flow cytometry. The results showed that TLR4 mRNA level was upregulated in PBMCs of ACLF patients compared to that in the healthy subjects and the CHB patients. Specifically, the expression of TLR4 on CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells of PBMCs was significantly increased in ACLF patients. The TLR4 levels on CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells were positively correlated with serum total bilirubin (TBIL), direct bilirubin (DBIL), international normalized ratio (INR) levels and white blood cells (WBCs), and negatively correlated with serum albumin (ALB) levels in the HBV-infected patients, indicating TLR4 pathway may play a role in the disease aggravation of ACLF. In vitro TLR4 ligand stimulation on PBMCs of ACLF patients induced a strong TNF-α production by CD4(+) T cells, which was also positively correlated with the serum markers for liver injury severity. It was concluded that TLR4 expression is upregulated on T cells in PBMCs, which is associated with the aggravation of ACLF.