Characteristics of ocular abnormalities in gout patients

·AIM: To characterize the clinical features of ocular surface in gout patients in coastal area of Shandong Province in China. ·METHODS: A total of 380 consecutive gout patients were examined from January 2011 to May 2011. According to the course of gout, patients were divided into group A (【5 years), B (5 -10 years) and C (】10 years). Group D (control group) was consist of 50 healthy subjects. Eyelids, lateral canthus, medial canthus, palpebral conjunctiva, sclera and cornea, anterior chamber, lens, anterior vitreous were examined by slit lamp to find whether there were deposition of uric acid crystals, ocular vascular tortuosity, redness and subconjunctival hemorrhage. The ophthalmic exams of visual acuity, intraocular pressure, fundus were used to assess any gout-related eye disease. ·RESULTS: Uric acid crystals were found in 3 patients and the positions of the deposite were in corneal stroma, corneal epithelium and superficial stroma, and sclera respectively. The incidence was 0.79% . Dilatated and tortuous blood vessels in conjunctiva and sclera surface were found in 38 (23.8% ), 40 (44.0% ), 58 (45.0% ), 9 (18.0% ) patients in groups A, B, C and D, respectively. The differences between group B and D, group C and D were statistically significant( 【0.01, 【0.01).Transparent vesicles with metal -like reflected light in subconjunctiva were seen in 26 (16.2%), 29 (31.9%), 41 (31.8%), 2 (4.00%) patients in groups A, B, C and D, respectively. The differences between A and D, B and D, C and D were statistically significant ( 【0.05, 【0.01, 【0.01). Subconjunctival hemorrhage was found in all groups, the difference among the four groups showed no statistically significance. · CONCLUSION: Gout can cause ocular surface abnormalities, such as tophi deposition, subconjunctival transparent vesicles and hemorrhage, and vascular changes. These features have important clinical significance in early detection of the gout and prevention of eye injury. ·

Screening of a High Growth Influenza B Virus Strain in Vero Cells

Due to the insufficient supply of embryonated chicken eggs,the preparation of large quantities of inactivated influenza vaccines will require an alternative virus culture system after the emergence or reemergence of a pandemic influenza virus.The Vero cell is one of the ideal options since it was used for producing many kinds of human vaccines.However,most of the influenza viruses can not grow well in Vero cells.To develop a new influenza vaccine with Vero cells as a substrate,the virus needs to adapt to this cell substrate to maintain high growth characteristics.By serial passages in Vero cells,the B/Yunnan/2/2005va(B)strain was successfully adapted to Vero cells,with the hemagglutination titer(HAT)of the virus reaching 1:512.The high growth characteristic of this strain is stable up to 21 passages.The strain was identified by hemagglutination inhibition (HAI)test and sequencing respectively;the HA1 gene sequence of the virus was cloned and analyzed.The screening and establishment of high growth B virus provides an important tool for influenza vaccine production in Vero cells.

Safety and immunogenicity of human papillomavirus-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine in healthy Chinese females aged 15 to 45 years:a phase Ⅰ trial

Globally,about 70% of cervical cancers are associated with human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 or HPV-18 infection.A meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies in China showed that HPV was present in 98% of cervical cancer samples.The HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine Cervarix has shown a high level of protection against HPV-16/18 infections and associated cervical lesions.This phase Ⅰ trial (NCT00549900) assessed the safety,tolerability,and immunogenicity of the vaccine in Chinese.Thirty healthy Chinese females,aged 15 to 45 years with a median age of 29.5 years,received three doses of Cervarix in Months 0,1,and 6.Safety was assessed via recording solicited local and systemic symptoms within 7 days and unsolicited symptoms within 30 days after each vaccination.Serious adverse events,new onset of chronic diseases,and other medically significant conditions were recorded throughout this trial.As an exploratory objective,HPV-16/18 antibody titers were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in serum samples collected in Months 0 and 7.Pain at the injection site was the most frequently reported local symptom.Two subjects reported medically significant adverse events.Both cases were assessed as unrelated to vaccination by the investigator.In Month 7,100% seroconversion was observed for both anti-HPV-16 and anti-HPV-18 with high geometric mean antibody titers.HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine,evaluated for the first time in Chinese females,was generally well tolerated and immunogenic,as previously shown in global studies.

Immunogenicity noninferiority study of 2 doses and 3 doses of an Escherichia coli-produced HPV bivalent vaccine in girls vs.3 doses in young women

A new HPV-16/18 bivalent vaccine expressed by the Escherichia coli has been proven to be efficacious in adult women.A randomized,immunogenicity noninferiority study of this candidate vaccine was conducted in December 2015 in China.Girls aged 9–14 years were randomized to receive 2 doses at months 0 and 6(n=301)or 3 doses at months 0,1 and 6(n=304).Girls aged 15–17 years(n=149)and women aged 18–26 years(n=225)received 3 doses.The objectives included noninferiority analysis of the IgG geometric mean concentration(GMC)ratio(95%CI,lower bound>0.5)to HPV-16 and HPV-18 at month 7 in girls compared with women.In the per-protocol set,the GMC ratio of IgG was noninferior for girls aged 9–17 years receiving 3 doses compared with women(1.76(95%CI,1.56,1.99)for HPV-16 and 1.93(95%CI,1.69,2.21)for HPV-18)and noninferior for girls aged 9–14 years receiving 2 doses compared with women(1.45(95%CI,1.25,1.62)for HPV-16 and 1.17(95%CI,1.02,1.33)for HPV-18).Noninferiority was also demonstrated for neutralizing antibodies.The immunogenicity of the HPV vaccine in girls receiving 3 or 2 doses was noninferior compared with that in young adult women.