[Gene construction and screening of humanized single chain antibody library against VSTM1-v2 cytokine].

To rapidly select potent anti-VSTM1-v2 scFv (single-chain antibody fragment) by construction and screening of a humanized scFv library in which a murine VH-CDR3 library was grafted onto a human scFv framework. A murine VH-CDR3 library was amplified from anti-VSTM1-v2 murine cDNA and grafted on human scFv (VH3-VK1) framework. Anti-VSTM1-v2 scFv templates were selected and enriched through ribosome display, TA-cloned into expression vector, and transformed into BL21 (DE3) for soluble expression of target scFv. A total of 1000 clones were randomly picked. Positive ones were first identified using colony PCR, indirect ELISA, Western blotting and then verified with sequencing and dose response ELISA. At last an anti-VSTM1-v2 humanized scFv with good binding affinity (EC50 = 21.35 nmol x L(-1)) was selected from the humanized library of 10(12) members generated in this study. This scFv antibody might have potential applications. This study provides a new approach for rapid screening of humanized antibodies.

Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in Pudong New Area of Shanghai using three proposed definitions among Chinese adults.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) has been increasing in China in recent years. The aim of this study is to estimate and compare the prevalence of MS among Chinese adults in Shanghai, one of the most economic developed areas in China, using definitions proposed by World Health Organization (WHO), National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel (modified ATP III) and International Diabetes Federation (IDF). METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 5,584 adults at age 20-79 randomly selected from Pudong New Area of Shanghai, China, through a three-stage sampling. All participants were interviewed in-person between April and July of 2008 to collect information on demographic and lifestyle characteristics. At the interview, anthropometry and blood pressure were measured and bio-specimens were collected. RESULTS: The prevalence estimates for the MS increased with age for each definition in men and women, but the estimates varied greatly between the definitions and by sex. The prevalence of the MS was higher in men (20.2%) than in women (18.7%) using WHO definition but this sex difference was reversed when using the modified ATP III (28.4% for men vs. 35.1% for women) and the IDF (15.9% for men vs. 26.7% for women) criteria. The most common metabolic disorder in this population was dyslipidaemia, regardless of the definition used. Substantial agreement, estimated using the kappa statistic, was found between the modified ATP III and IDF definition, whereas the lowest agreement was observed between the WHO and ATP III criteria. CONCLUSIONS: The MS is highly prevalent among Chinese adults in Pudong New Area of Shanghai and the most prevalent component was dyslipidemia. These findings underscore the importance of prevention and control efforts for the MS in this area and the need for a unified predictive definition for the syndrome for use by clinical practitioners and public health agencies.