A high-throughput DNA analysis method based on isothermal amplification on a suspension microarray for detecting mpox virus and viruses with comparable symptoms.

BACKGROUND: Mpox is a zoonotic disease caused by mpox virus (MPXV) infection. Since May 2022, there has been a marked increase in human mpox cases in different regions. Rash, fever, and sore throat are typical signs of mpox. However, other viruses, such as the B virus (BV), herpes simplex virus types 1 (HSV-1), herpes simplex virus types 2 (HSV-2), and varicella zoster virus (VZV), can also infect people and cause comparable symptoms. Therefore, clinical symptoms and signs alone make distinguishing MPXV from these viruses difficult. RESULTS: In this study, we combined suspension microarray technology with recombinase-aided amplification technology (RAA) to establish a high-throughput, sensitive, and quantitative method for detecting MPXV and other viruses that can cause similar symptoms. The experimental results confirmed that the technique has outstanding sensitivity, with a minimum detection limit (LOD) of 0.1 fM and a linear range of 0.3 fM to 20 pM, spanning five orders of magnitude. The approach also exhibits exquisite selectivity, as the amplified signal can only be detected when the target virus nucleic acid is present. Additionally, serum recoveries ranging from 80.52% to 119.09% suggest that the detection outcomes are generally considered reliable. Moreover, the time required for detection using this high-throughput method is very short. After DNA extraction, the detection signal amplified by isothermal amplification on the bead array can be obtained in just 1 h. SIGNIFICANCE AND NOVELTY: Our research introduces a new technique that utilizes suspension microarray technology and isothermal amplification to create a high-throughput nucleic acid assay. This innovative method offers multiple benefits compared to current techniques, such as being cost-effective, time-efficient, highly sensitive, and having high throughput capabilities. Furthermore, the assay is applicable not only for detecting MPXV and viruses with similar symptoms, but also for clinical diagnostics, food safety, and environmental monitoring, rendering it an effective tool for screening harmful microorganisms.

Utilization of Nasal Mucus to Investigate the Pathophysiology of Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

BACKGROUND: Nasal mucus is proving to be a useful means by which to study the pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Given the increase in publications examining nasal mucus and the lack of a review on this topic, we will focus on this noninvasive approach to studying CRS. Particular attention will be drawn towards inflammatory cytokines and biomarkers and their influence on disease severity. METHODS: A literature review of papers published in English pertaining to nasal mucus was performed using the PubMed database. The search utilized combinations of the following keywords: sinusitis, polyps, sample collection, nasal mucus, or nasal secretion. Studies solely on acute or bacterial sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, or cystic fibrosis were not included. RESULTS: A wide variety of materials and methods have been used to collect nasal mucus. Numerous assay types have been performed with the most common being ELISA, cytometric bead array, and proteomics. Most studies have focused on examining the levels of Th1/Th2 cytokines along with chemokines associated with type 2 immunity. Other factors identified include growth factors, senescence-associated proteins, complement, and antimicrobial defenses have also been identified. Nasal mucus cytokines have proven useful in cluster analysis and predicting postoperative improvement in Sino-nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) scores. One limitation of the use of nasal mucus is that some studies have suggested that nasal mucus does not always reflect the tissue microenvironment. CONCLUSIONS: Nasal mucus represents a critical tool by which to examine the sinonasal microenvironment in a noninvasive manner. Unlike studies of tissue, it can be utilized in both surgically and medically managed patients and avoids the trauma of biopsies. However, studies are still needed to determine the most effective method for nasal mucus collection. Studies should also take care to confirm that nasal mucus markers do, in fact, reflect the levels of the product studied in the tissue.

The Dynamic Feature of Macrophage M1/M2 Imbalance Facilitates the Progression of Non-Traumatic Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head.

Non-traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head (NONFH) remains a common refractory disease with poorly understood pathogenesis. Macrophage M1/M2 imbalance and chronic inflammatory microenvironment have been suggested to be closely related to osteonecrosis. Here we describe direct visual evidence for the involvement of dynamic changes in macrophages and the chronic inflammatory microenvironment in human NONFH. Osteonecrosis induces inflammatory responses and macrophage enrichment in the reparative area, and the number of inflammatory cells and macrophages falls during progressive-to end-stage NONFH. Multiplex immunohistochemistry demonstrated that macrophage M1/M2 ratio increased from 3 to 10 during progressive-to end-stage. During the progressive-stage, new blood vessels formed in the reparative area, M2 macrophages accumulated in perivascular (M1/M2 ratio ∼0.05), while M1 macrophages were enriched in avascular areas (M1/M2 ratio ∼12). Furthermore, inflammatory cytokines were detected in synovial fluid and plasma using cytometric bead arrays. Interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1ß were persistently enriched in synovial fluid compared to plasma in patients with NONFH, and this difference was confirmed by immunohistochemistry staining. However, only IL-6 levels in plasma were higher in patients with progressive-stage NONFH than in osteoarthritis. Moreover, fibrosis tissues were observed in the necrotic area in progressive-stage and end-stage NONFH based on Sirius Red staining. Together, these findings indicate that macrophage M1/M2 imbalance facilitates the progression of NONFH, a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by chronic inflammation, osteonecrosis and tissue fibrosis in the local lesion. Inhibiting inflammation, promoting the resolution of inflammation, switching macrophages to an M2 phenotype, or inhibiting their adoption of an M1 phenotype may be useful therapeutic strategies against NONFH.

The detection of pro-inflammatory cytokines in exudates from dental pulp tissues.

BACKGROUND: This research aims to quantify pro-inflammatory cytokines from the exudates of dental pulp tissues are helpful in the diagnosis of pulpitis, thus, laying down the foundation for further vital pulp therapy on irreversible pulpitis. METHODS: The authors selected patients admitted to Beijing Stomatological Hospital from October 2016 to March 2018. Exudates were collected from pulp exposure and were divided into four groups, which encompass normal pulps (Group 1), early stage of chronic pulpitis (Group 2), late stage of chronic pulpitis (Group 3) and acute attack of chronic pulpitis (Group 4). RESULTS: The cytokines IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF from the exudates of dental pulp tissues were quantified by cytometric bead array using enhanced sensitivity flex sets. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 22.0 and the 2-sided significance level was set at p < 0.05. The Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman correlation analysis were employed to process data. CONCLUSION: There were 32, 37, 14, 29 samples in Groups 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. Only small amount of IL-1ß, IL-8 was expressed in normal pulps and almost no TNF, IL-6 could be detected in Group 1. No difference was observed in the concentration of TNF between Group 2, 3, 4.

The monitoring value of twelve inflammatory cytokines in chimeric antigen receptor T cell immunotherapy / 中华检验医学杂志

Objective:To investigate the significance of 12 inflammatory cytokines in early detection and treatment guidance of hematologic malignant patients with Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) after Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell immunotherapy.Methods:A total of 12 patients, including 6 males and 6 females, aged 53.0 (49.8, 62.5) years old, were treated with CAR-T cell immunotherapy in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from 2017 to 2020. Cytometric bead array was used to detect the serum levels of IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12P70, IL-17A, IFN-α, IFN-γ, and TNF-α at different time points after cell infusion in all patients receiving CAR-T cell immunotherapy. C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer (D-D), serum ferritin (SF), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were measured at the corresponding period. CRS was classified into four grades according to the diagnostic criteria, from 0 to 3. The differences of the above mentioned parameters between the four groups were compared. The Speedman correlation coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between inflammatory cytokine expression levels and CRS grades. Plot the subject′s receiver operating characterist (ROC) curve to determine the sensitivity and specificity of inflammatory cytokines to predict CRS.Results:CRS grading was performed on day 1, 4, 7, and 11 after CAR-T cell infusion in 12 patients. There are 48 cases in total, including 25 cases of CRS grade 0, 6 cases of CRS grade 1, 9 cases of CRS grade 2, and 8 cases of CRS grade 3. The correlation analysis of 48 cases showed that the expression levels of IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β, and IL-8 were positively correlated with CRS grade ( P<0.05). The correlation coefficients were 0.384, 0.730, 0.632, 0.341, 0.681, 0.319, and 0.622, respectively. 7 inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-10, IFN-γ, IL-8, IL-2, TNF-α, and IFN-α) were elevated in 12 patients, and the average time to start the rise was 3.4, 5.3, 6.1, 2.9, 4.3, 6.0 and 5.8 days, respectively. The time for CRP, D-D, SF, and LDH to begin to rise were 6.6, 7.6, 8.3 and 7.6 days, which were higher than that of the 7 inflammatory cytokines. After effective treatment, except for IL-6, the remaining 6 inflammatory cytokines (IL-10, IFN-γ, IL-8, IL-2, TNF-α and IFN-α) had their recovery times as 7.8, 3.9, 5.1, 8.0, 6.0, and 2.5 day,respectively, which were lower than that of CRP, D-D, SF, and LDH(9.7, 9.2, 13.7, and 13.8 days, respectively). The ROC showed that IL-6, IL-10, IFN-γ, and IL-8 can serve as biomarkers for diagnosis of CRS with high sensitivity and specificity. Conclusion:The monitoring of 12 inflammatory cytokines play an important role in CRS grading after CAR-T cell immunotherapy, which contributes to the early diagnosis of CRS and the prediction of clinical outcome.

Serum Levels of Seven General Cytokines in Acute Brucellosis Before and After Treatment.

PURPOSE: Human brucellosis is the most common bacterial zoonosis globally that poses a severe health threat. Despite the availability of antibiotic therapy for human brucellosis, its tendencies of chronicity and persistence may lead to severe debilitating and disabling conditions in patients. Comprehensive understanding of the immune response in brucellosis will be helpful in improving the treatment strategies. In this study, we measured serum levels of T helper cell type 1 (Th1), Th2, and Th17 cytokines in patients with acute brucellosis before and after treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Overall, 30 patients with acute brucellosis from the Beijing Di Tan Hospital and 26 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. All the patients received a 6-week therapy regimen comprising ceftriaxone, doxycycline, and rifampicin. Serum samples were collected from patients with acute Brucella infection and healthy controls before and after treatment. Serum seven cytokine levels of Th1 (IL-2, IFN-γ, and TNF-α), Th2 (IL-4, IL-6, IL-10), and Th17 (IL-17A) were measured using cytometric bead array. RESULTS: In patients with acute infection, the IL-2, IFN-γ, and IL-10 levels were significantly increased compared with those in healthy controls (P < 0.001). After treatment, IL-2, IFN-γ, and IL-10 levels significantly decreased (P < 0.05) and the TNF-α level significantly increased compared with the corresponding baseline levels and those in healthy controls (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-10 levels were higher in patients after treatment than in healthy controls (P < 0.05). IL-2 and IL-6 levels exhibited a positive correlation with the C-reactive protein (CRP) level in acute brucellosis (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Levels of most serum Th1 and Th2 cytokines were simultaneously increased in acute infection, followed by reduction in the corresponding cytokine levels and residual cytokine response during treatment. This residual immune response could represent a therapeutic opportunity that may improve the long-term clinical outcomes in patients with acute brucellosis after treatment.

Expressions of interleukin 6, interleukin 8 and interleukin 10 in the peripheral blood of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and their clinical significances / 白血病·淋巴瘤

Objective:To explore expressions of interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 8 (IL-8) and interleukin 10 (IL-10) in the peripheral blood of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and their clinical significances.Methods:The clinical data of 78 newly diagnosed patients with DLBCL from March 2018 to March 2021 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University were retrospectively analyzed, and 58 healthy people receiving physical examination during the same period were taken as the healthy controls. The expressions levels of IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 in peripheral blood were tested by using cytometric bead array (CBA), and the association of the levels of IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 with clinical characteristics, disease staging and prognosis was analyzed.Results:The expression levels of IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 in DLBCL group were higher than those in the healthy control group [(171.81±70.91) pg/ml vs. (2.71±0.28) pg/ml, (47.95±13.04) pg/ml vs. (3.69±0.47) pg/ml, (38.02±10.35) pg/ml vs. (1.77±0.23) pg/ml], and differences were statistically significant ( t values were 2.38, 3.39, 3.50, all P<0.05). In DLBCL group, the expression levels of IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 in patient with bone marrow invasion, international prognostic index (IPI) 3-5 scores and clinical staging Ⅲ-Ⅳ were higher than those in patients with bone marrow non-invasion, IPI 1-2 scores and clinical stagingⅠ-Ⅱ(all P<0.05). There was a relationship between the expression levels of IL-6 and IL-8, IL-6 and IL-10, IL-8 and IL-10 in peripheral blood of DLBCL patients ( r2 value was 0.93, 0.89, 0.89, respectively; all P < 0.05). Among patients with high expressions of IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10, the proportion of patients not receiving remission after 6 cycles of treatment in clinical staging Ⅲ-Ⅳ was higher than that of patients with high expressions of IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 alone or any two of them, and differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Conclusions:There is a high correlation of IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 expression levels; the increasing expression levels of them may predict the later disease stage and poor prognosis for DLBCL patients.

IgE allergy diagnostics and other relevant tests in allergy, a World Allergy Organization position paper.

Currently, testing for immunoglobulin E (IgE) sensitization is the cornerstone of diagnostic evaluation in suspected allergic conditions. This review provides a thorough and updated critical appraisal of the most frequently used diagnostic tests, both in vivo and in vitro. It discusses skin tests, challenges, and serological and cellular in vitro tests, and provides an overview of indications, advantages and disadvantages of each in conditions such as respiratory, food, venom, drug, and occupational allergy. Skin prick testing remains the first line approach in most instances; the added value of serum specific IgE to whole allergen extracts or components, as well as the role of basophil activation tests, is evaluated. Unproven, non-validated, diagnostic tests are also discussed. Throughout the review, the reader must bear in mind the relevance of differentiating between sensitization and allergy; the latter entails not only allergic sensitization, but also clinically relevant symptoms triggered by the culprit allergen.

An IL-6-IL-8 score derived from principal component analysis is predictive of adverse outcome in acute myocardial infarction.

INTRODUCTION: Many studies have shown that elevated biomarkers of inflammation following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are associated with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). However, the optimal way of measuring the complex inflammatory response following AMI has not been determined. In this study we explore the use of principal component analysis (PCA) utilising multiple inflammatory cytokines to generate a combined cytokine score that may be predictive of MACE post-AMI. METHODS: Thirteen inflammatory cytokines were measured in plasma of 317 AMI patients, drawn 48-72 h following symptom onset. Patients were followed-up for one year to determine the incidence of MACE. PCA was used to generate a combined score using six cytokines that were detectable in the majority of patients (IL-1ß, -6, -8, and -10; MCP-1; and RANTES), and using a subset of cytokines that were associated with MACE on univariate analysis. Multivariate models using baseline characteristics, elevated individual cytokines and PCA-derived scores determined independent predictors of MACE. RESULTS: IL-6 and IL-8 were significantly associated with MACE on univariate analysis and were combined using PCA into an IL-6-IL-8 score. The combined cytokine score and IL-6-IL-8 PCA-derived score were both significantly associated with MACE on univariate analysis. In multivariate models IL-6-IL-8 scores (OR = 2.77, p = 0.007) and IL-6 levels (OR = 2.18, p = 0.035) were found to be independent predictors of MACE. CONCLUSION: An IL-6-IL-8 score derived from PCA was found to independently predict MACE at one year and was a stronger predictor than any individual cytokine, which suggests this may be an appropriate strategy to quantify inflammation post-AMI. Further investigation is required to determine the optimal set of cytokines to measure in this context.

Circulating levels of chemokines in patients with psoriasis vulgaris and their association with disease severity: A case-control study from North India.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by hyperproliferation and incomplete differentiation of epidermis, and accumulation of neutrophils and proinflammatory T cells in epidermis and dermis. Chemokines are believed to be the main players mediating the chemotaxis of leucocytes to the lesional site. Previous studies have established the role of various chemokine ligands and receptors at the lesional site in psoriasis. AIMS: In this study, we have compared the serum levels of various chemokines, namely, inducible protein-10 (IP-10) (CXCL10), MCP-1 (CCL-2), monokine induced by gamma interferon (MIG) (CXCL-9), RANTES (CCL5), interleukin (IL)-8, and eotaxin in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis with that of healthy controls. We also studied whether the chemokine levels varied within different patient groups based on various clinical and demographic parameters, and if any of these chemokines correlated with disease activity. METHODS: We studied 40 patients with chronic plaque psoriasis from a single center. Their clinical and demographic details were recorded in predesigned prforma. Patients with unstable forms of psoriasis like guttate, erythrodermic, or pustular psoriasis were excluded. The serum chemokine levels were measured by flow cytometry-based bead array set system. The serum levels of the patients were compared with that of 25 healthy controls. A subgroup analysis was also done to study the correlation of chemokine levels with age, sex, duration, and severity of disease. RESULTS: We observed a significant decrease in serum level of all these chemokines in patients, when compared with that of healthy controls. We also found that MIG levels showed a positive correlation with disease severity based on Psoriasis Area and Severity Index. LIMITATIONS: The major limitation of the study is lack of data on the lesional chemokine levels compared to serum chemokines. CONCLUSION: The inflammatory process in psoriasis is orchestrated through chemokines. MIG is a potential serum biomarker for assessing disease severity.

Using cytometric bead arrays to detect cytokines in the serum of patients with different types of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Cytokines play a crucial role in mediating immune responses to tuberculosis (TB). The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of cytokines in patients with different forms of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and identify valuable cytokine biomarkers for the diagnosis of PTB. We measured the levels of six cytokines (interleukin (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), and interferon-γ (IFN-γ)) in the serum of healthy donors (n = 30). Patients with active PTB (n = 46) and those with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI, n = 38) were examined using cytometric bead arrays. The levels of the six cytokines in the serum samples were measured promptly, sensitively, and simultaneously. The levels of IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-γ were significantly higher in the PTB group compared with those reported in the healthy donors ( P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). In addition, significantly higher levels of IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-γ were found in the active PTB group compared with those observed in the LTBI group ( P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). However, the levels of IL-4 and TNF-α in the sera of patients from the PTB group did not show a significant correlation with those measured in the healthy donor group. Our data demonstrated that IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-γ may be useful in the auxiliary diagnosis of tuberculosis and as biomarkers for distinguishing LTBI from TB.

Cytometric Bead Array (CBA) for Measuring Cytokine Levels in Chagas Disease Patients.

Cytometric bead array (CBA) is a flow cytometry application that allows users to quantify multiple proteins simultaneously. Compared to other quantifier assays, as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot, CBA significantly reduces sample requirements and time to results. This technology allows for the design and creation of assays to measure a variety of analytes including inflammatory mediators, chemokines, immunoglobulin isotypes, intracellular signaling molecules, apoptotic mediators, adhesion molecules, and antibodies. Here we describe CBA steps to measure soluble cytokine levels in body fluids of infected patients by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, morbidity known as Chagas disease.

Cytokine Profile in Sweet's Syndrome under the Treatment of Pulmonary Toxoplasmosis Complicated with Myelodysplastic Syndrome.

We herein describe a case of Sweet's syndrome (SS) in a patient being treated for pulmonary toxoplasmosis complicated with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The patient's SS developed after the pulmonary toxoplasmosis improved following treatment. We searched his cytokine profiles comprehensively using a bead-based immunoassay. The results showed no elevation of interleukin (IL)-2, interferon (IFN)-γ or IL-17A, and IL-6 was only observed to have increased at the onset of SS, suggesting that the pulmonary toxoplasmosis had been well controlled and that chronic inflammation may have been the cause of SS. Pulmonary toxoplasmosis is an extremely rare occurrence. The cytokine profile can help to clarify the pathological condition of SS and MDS complicated with severely invasive infectious diseases.

Effect of melatonin on the expression of Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokines of gastric cancer in vitro and in vivo / 解剖学报

Objective: To investigate the effect of melatonin(MLT) on the expression of type Thl/Th2/Thl7 cytokines such as interferon(IFN)-Î3, tumor necrosis factor(TNF), interleukin(IL)-2,IL-4,IL-6,IL-10,IL-17a and so on of gastric cancer in vitro and in vivo. Methods: 1. Model of gastric cancer-bearing mice was established. Then 32 male 615 mice were all inoculated with murine foregastric carcinoma cells and randomly divided into 4 groups, and injected intraperitoneally with melatonin at doses of 0, 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg, and measureed long and short diameter of tumor, respectively. After a week of intervention, peripheral blood was taken and the tumor tissue was removed for weighing and measurement. 2. Murine foregastric carcinoma (MFC) cells were inoculated into a six-well cell culture plate and routinely cultured. After 24 hours of adherence, they were treated with melatonin at different concentrations of 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 mmol/L. After 24 hours again, the cells morpology were observed and the corresponding supematants were collected. 3. The expressions of melatonin concentrations in peripheral blood serum was detected by enzyme -linked imm unosorbent assay (ELISA). The expressions of Thl/Th2/Thl7 cytokines in peripheral blood serum and cell supematants were detected by cytometric bead array (CBA) respectively. Results: 1. Tumor-bearing mice models were successfully established. Compared with the negative control group, the melatonin concentration in peripheral blood serum of the middle and high dose MLT group which increased significantly, and the tumor volume significantly decreased. Compared with the negative control group, the concentration of 1L-10 in the middle dose group increased significantly. And the concentration of IFN-y, IL-2 and IL-10 in the high dose group increased significantly too. 2. Compared with the 0 mmol/L MLT group, the concentrations of IFN-Î3 in the 6 and 10 mmol/L MLT group were significantly decreased; the concentrations of IL-6 in the 4, 6, 8 and 10 mmol/L MLT group were significantly decreased, and the concentration of IL-10 in 6 mmol/L MLT group was significantly increased. All the difference were statistically significant (P<0. 05). Conclusion: Melatonin inhibits the proliferation of murine foregastric carcinoma cell MFC both in vitro and in vivo, and may enhance tumor immunity by adjust the expression of IFN-Î3, IL-2, IL-6 and IL-10 cytokines of type Thl/Th2/Thl7 cells.

Occupational cannabis exposure and allergy risks.

OBJECTIVES: Cannabis allergy has mainly been described following recreational use but some cases also point to cannabis sensitisation as a result of occupational exposure. As a consequence, little is known on the prevalence and clinical phenotype of occupational cannabis allergy. Therefore, this study aims to explore the allergy-associated health risks of occupational cannabis exposure in Belgian police force personnel. METHODS: 81 participants, active in the police force, reporting regular occupational cannabis exposure during the past 12 months, were included. History was combined with a standardised questionnaire on allergies and cannabis exposure.Basophil activation tests (BATs) with a crude cannabis extract and rCan s 3 were performed. In addition, specific (s)IgE rCan s 3 as well as sIgE to house dust mite, six pollen and three mould allergens were quantified. RESULTS: Although 42% of the participants reported respiratory and/or cutaneous symptoms on occupational cannabis exposure, all cannabis diagnostics were entirely negative, except one symptomatic case demonstrating a borderline result. Furthermore, there is no significant difference between the groups with and without symptoms on cannabis exposure in terms of allergenic sensitisations. CONCLUSIONS: The origins of the reported respiratory and cutaneous symptoms during cannabis exposure remain elusive but are probably due to non-immune reactions. It should be noted that the study was volunteer-based possibly reflecting an excessive number of symptomatic individuals. Nevertheless, as only one participant reported using fully protective gear, much improvement is needed for reducing the number of symptoms reported on duty, independent of their origin.

Effect of vitamin D replacement on immunological biomarkers in patients with multiple sclerosis.

We aimed to investigate the immunologic effects of vitamin D replacement in RRMS patients. In a controlled single center study, patients deficient in 25-hydroxyvitamin D (serum level<25ng/ml) received 10,000IU/week cholecalciferol for 3months. Sufficient vitamin D patients (serum level>35ng/ml) were followed for the same period. Assessments were performed at baseline and at 3months. 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels increased significantly from baseline to month-3 in the deficient group after treatment and remained stable in the sufficient group. We observed a decreased interferon-γ (IFNγ) secretion by CD4+ T cells in vitamin D deficient group but not in the sufficient group, and a negative correlation between baseline serum vitamin D and IFNγ production. There was no change in the frequency of T helper or regulatory T cell subsets in either group. Increasing serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D are associated with decreased production of IFNγ by CD4+ T cells.

Magnetic microspheres-based cytometric bead array assay for highly sensitive detection of ochratoxin A.

Accurate and sensitive quantification of a specific class of mycotoxins at trace levels in complex matrices with greener approaches is of significant importance. In this study, a green and economical protocol of magnetic microspheres-based cytometric bead array (CBA) assay on indirect competitive principle was developed for sensitive and rapid detection of ochratoxin A (OTA) in malts with a small number of standard and sample solutions. The protocol included the competition of OTA in malt samples and that covalently coupled on the surface of microspheres with its monoclonal antibodies, the separation and aggregation of the magnetic microspheres, and the fluorescence detection of fluorescein isothiocyanate labeled goat anti-mouse immunoglobulin G probes. The magnetic microspheres-based CBA assay allowed for ultralow limit of detection (0.025µgkg-1) for OTA and showed higher sensitivity compared with the common polystyrene beads-based CBA method. This is the first report on the magnetic microspheres-based CBA assay by using a simple and easy-to-operate magnetic separator for highly sensitive and rapid detection of OTA in complex malt samples. By consuming less solvent, time and cost, as well as fewer standard and samples, the developed green protocol expressed high potential for one-site real-time detection of trace components in complex matrices.

Analytical capability of flow cytometric bead array for lung cancer markers / 药物评价研究

Objective To appraise the analytical capability of flow cytometric bead array for lung cancer markers through the tests of limit of detection,relative standard deviation,specificity,methods comparation and linearity rang.Methods The limit of detection,relative standard deviation,specificity and linearity rang in detection of Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA),cytokeratin 19 (Cyfra21-1) and neuron specific enolase (NSE) in serum were evaluated by flow cytometer.Western blotting method was ultilized to validate the specificity of antibody-antigen recognization.The interference of hemoglobin,three acyl glycerol and bilirubin on the detection of CEA,Cyfra21-1 and NSE was tested.Compared to electrochemiluminescence immunoassay,the relative error for flow cytometric bead array was assessed.Results Flow cytometric bead array demonstrated that the limit of detection was 1.71 pg/mL for CEA,3.97 pg/mL for cyfra21-1,and 2.27 pg/mL for NSE.The relative standard deviation for intra-assay and inter-assay were below 10％ and 15％,respectively.The pair of antibodies can defferentially recognize antigens.The measurement for CEACAM6,CK18,NSE appeared that there was no significant cross-talking reaction.Three acyl glycerol and bilirubin did not significantly interfere with the detection for serum samples.Hemoglobin of 500 ng/mL can significantly interfere with the detection of Cyfra21-1 (P ＜ 0.05) and NSE (P ＜ 0.05).The correlation coefficient between flow cytometric array and electrochemiluminescence immunoassay was 0.984 2 for serum CEA,0.962 2 for serum cyfra 21-1 and 0.982 0 for serum NSE.The linearity ranged from 355.76 pg/mL to 367.74 ng/mL for CEA,from 87.89 pg/mL to 107.8 ng/mL for cyfra21-1,and from 90.12 pg/mL to 86.07 ng/mL for NSE.Conclusion Flow cytometric array for lung cancer markers may be of use in clinical detection.

Levels of Circulating Tumor Necrosis Factor-α in Children with Symptomatic Dengue Evaluated by ELISA and Bead-Based Assays.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α is a key cytokine in the pathogenesis of dengue virus infection, and its accurate detection in several types of human samples is critical. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is the gold standard for the detection of TNF-α, but multiplexed bead-based assays such as cytometric bead array (CBA) are now frequently used. Here, using ELISA and two CBAs commercially available, we measured TNF-α concentrations in plasma and serum from children with acute dengue virus infection and healthy controls. To evaluate the detection efficiency and factors affecting it, spiked recovery and immune complex dissociation assays were also performed. The levels of TNF-α evaluated by ELISA in paired serum and plasma samples from children with dengue positively correlated (rho = 0.99, p < 0.0001). Children with dengue had higher levels of plasma TNF-α than those of healthy children (p = 0.004). The ELISA detected TNF-α in a higher number of plasma samples than the CBA (p < 0.0001), and both methods only correlated when TNF-α was evaluated in buffer-based solutions but not in plasma, indicating the presence of a factor interfering with the detection of TNF-α in plasma. The recovery of several types of human recombinant TNF-α was dramatically decreased in plasma but not in tissue culture media (p ≤ 0.01), and this effect was similar in the plasma obtained from the children with dengue or the healthy controls. The dissociation of immune complexes did not improve TNF-α recovery. Dilution of the plasma samples increased the recovery of TNF-α, but at high concentrations of the cytokine. In short, plasma affects the efficiency of TNF-α detection, and this effect should be considered in the measurement of this cytokine.

Short-Term Variation of Lung Function and Airway Inflammation in Children and Adolescents with Bronchiolitis Obliterans.

PURPOSE: Bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) is an inadequately researched disease in terms of lung function as well as inflammatory profile. The short-term variation of these parameters has not been investigated. Therefore, the objective of this study was the investigation of lung function, sputum cells and cytokine profiles in BO at two visits within of four to six weeks. METHODS: Twenty patients with BO (median age = 14.6, range 8.3-24.3) performed lung function tests, airway reversibility testing and induction of sputum within four to six weeks. The cell composition in the sputum was analysed and cytokine levels of IL-1ß, IL-6 and IL-8 were determined by cytometric bead array analysis. The short-term variation was then statistically quantified and compared to that of twenty-two healthy controls. Furthermore, we compared data on short-term variation of lung function and airway inflammation with a previous investigation in these patients 10-15 months earlier. RESULTS: Patients with BO showed minimal variation of lung function (VCmax, FVC, FEV1, FEV1/VC, MEF25 and RV/TLC) and the inflammatory cell profile. The lung function data were significantly lower for FVC, FEV1, the Tiffeneau index and MEF25 compared to the control group, whereas RV/TLC was significantly increased. Analysis of the BO sputum cells showed a consistent neutrophil inflammation. The levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-1ß, IL-6 and IL-8 had a great variability. CONCLUSIONS: The short-term variability of sputum neutrophilia and lung function is low in BO patients. This finding should be considered to identify successful treatment in the individual patient and could be used as endpoints for future BO-related studies.