[Throat infection, neck spinal disease, chest pain and cardiac response: a new clinical syndrome?].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the characteristics of a new clinical syndrome, including throat infection, neck spinal disease, chest pain and cardiac response. METHODS: A total of 165 patients with above mentioned symptoms admitted to Tongji hospital from 2003 to 2005 were included in this study and underwent further medical history inquiry, physical examination and laboratory tests. Eighty-five healthy subjects served as controls. Serum myocardial auto-antibodies against beta(1)-adrenoceptor, alpha-myosin heavy chain, M(2)-muscarinic receptor and adenine-nucleotide translocator were detected, inflammatory cytokines, high sensitivity C-reaction protein, serum antibodies against Coxsackie virus-B, cytomegalovirus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydia pneumoniae were determined and lymphocyte subclasses were assayed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: All patients had a complex of four symptoms or tetralogy: (1) persistent throat or upper respiratory tract infection; (2) neck pain; (3) chest pain; (4) chest depression or dyspnea, some of them with anxiety. Anti-myocardial auto-antibodies (AMCA) were present in all patients vs. 8% in controls. TNF-alpha, IL-1 and IL-6 were significantly higher in patients than controls (P < 0.01). CD3(+) and CD4(-)CD8(+) lymphocytes were significantly higher and CD56(+) lymphocytes lower in patients than those in controls (P < 0.01). The ratios of serum pathogen antibodies positive against Coxsackie virus-B, cytomegalovirus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydia pneumoniae were all significantly higher in patients than in controls. CONCLUSIONS: These data led to identification of a persistent respiratory infection-related clinical syndrome, including persistent throat infection, neck spinal lesion, rib cartilage inflammation, symptoms of cardiac depression and dyspnea with or without anxiety.

[Identification and tissue localization of intermediate filament protein in Angiostrongylus cantonensis].

OBJECTIVE: To identify the type of the intermediate filament (IF) protein of Angiostrongylus cantonensis and analyze its tissue localization. METHODS: Recombinant pET-IF of antigen IF was expressed in E.coli with IPTG induction, and the expression products were purified by His.Bind column and identified for determining the type of the IF protein by Western blotting. Anti-IF antibody was prepared by multi-spot subcutaneous injection into mouse and used to detect the tissue slices of A. cantonensis by immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS: The antigen IF were correctly expressed and purified, and identified as a keratin located in the intestine wall and cytoplusma. CONCLUSION: The antigen IF is distributed in the intestine wall of A. cantonensis.