Low-Dose Topical 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Photodynamic Therapy in the Treatment of Different Severity of Acne Vulgaris.

The objective of this article is to investigate the effectiveness and safety of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with 3.6 % topical aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and a short incubation time with red light in moderate to severe acne. One hundred and thirty-six patients with moderate to severe acne were treated with 3.6 % topical ALA-PDT for three sessions with an interval of 2 weeks. Patients were evaluated for efficacy and safety on week 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 after the initial treatment. Most patients showed apparent clearance of acne lesions at the treated site after three sessions. The effective treatment rates were increased after the multiple therapies. The clinical outcomes are the best at 4 weeks after the final treatment. The total effectiveness rate and cure rate of the low-dose ALA-PDT procedure is 92.65 and 47.06 %, respectively. Thirty-one patients and nineteen patients showed apparent exacerbation of acne lesions before the 2nd and 3rd treatment, respectively, but all of them showed good or excellent improvement after a three-course treatment. A few patients showed mild relapse including papules and comedos at 8 weeks after the final treatment. No significant differences are found in the effects of different acne severity and different genders. Adverse reactions are mild and transient. A 3.6 % topical ALA-PDT with a short time incubation with red light is a simple and an effective treatment option for moderate to severe acne with mild side effects in Chinese people.

[Reactivity of IgG class of anti-keratin autoantibodies in healthy human sera].

AIM: To analyze the reaction patterns of IgG class of anti-keratin autoantibodies (AK auto Abs) in normal human sera before and after purification, and to explore the effects of serum non-IgG components on the reaction patterns of IgG class of AK auto Abs. METHODS: Titers of IgG AK auto Abs in healthy human sera before and after purification were measured by indirect ELISA, and the reaction patterns of the AK auto Abs to a group of keratins with different relative molecule mass were analysed by Western blot. RESULTS: Titers of purified IgG class of AK auto Abs were higher than those of unpurified sera. Western blot analysis showed purified AK auto Abs recognized more keratins with stronger avidity than unpurified AK auto Abs. The reaction patterns of AK auto Abs from different individuals tended to be homogenous after purification. CONCLUSION: The reaction patterns of serum IgG class of AK auto Abs are influenced by some non-IgG components in sera. The homogeneity of reaction patterns of AK auto Abs from different individuals indicated that B cells producing IgG class of AK auto Abs may be selected by a set of conserved self-antigens, and this process may have no relationship with an individual's exposure to foreign antigens.

[Construction and expression of scFv phage antibody from natural anti-keratin monoclonal antibody 3B4].

AIM: To construct and express the scFv phage antibody from natural anti-keratin monoclonal antibody 3B4 in E.coli and then compare its antigenic specificity with that of the parental antibody 3B4. METHODS: The V(H) and V(L) of 3B4 were amplified by PCR from pMD-18T- mAb 3B4 V(H) and pMD-18T- mAb 3B4 V(L), and then cloned into the phagemid pscMH. E.coli was transfected by recombined pscMH and superinfected by the helper phage VCSM13. Then the antigenic specificity of the scFv concentrated from the supernatant of the transfected E.coli was detected by indirect ELISA. RESULTS: DNA sequence analysis showed that the scFv sequence was the same as the original sequence except that there was one base mutation in the FR1 of V(L). Indirect ELISA showed that the scFv phage antibody was polyreactive as mAb 3B4, but its antigenic specificity was not the same with that of mAb 3B4. CONCLUSION: The scFv phage antibody from natural anti-keratin monoclonal antibody 3B4 was successfully constructed and expressed. Its antigenic specificity was different from that of its parental antibody 3B4.

[Construction and expression of eukaryotic expression vector for intact IgG against human keratin].

AIM: To construct an eukaryotic expression vector containing the gene of anti-keratin antibody and express it in CHO(dhfr(-)) cells. METHODS: Both the V(L) and V(H) genes of an anti-keratin Fab from a phage display library were amplified by PCR. Using PCR product as the template, the V(kappa) and V(H) genes with the leader sequences (named L(kappa) and L(H) respectively) were amplified by overlapping PCR. After digested with endonuclease Xba I/BamH I and Xho I/Hind III, L(kappa) and L(H) genes were inserted into pWD digested with Xba I/BamH I and Xho I/Hind III, respectively to construct pWDkappaH. After PCR and sequencing, the expression plasmid pWDkappaH was transfected into CHO (dhfr(-)) cells. The culture supernatant of the transfected cells was collected and assayed for IgG activity. RESULTS: The eukaryotic expression vector pWDkappaH was constructed successfully and expressed in CHO(dhfr(-)) cells. The expression of intact IgG against keratin was identified by ELISA and RT-PCR. CONCLUSION: The successful expression of intact IgG against keratin lays the foundation for its clinical application.