Is a low dose of hepatitis B vaccine enough for a rapid vaccination scheme?

AIM: To determine whether or not a low dose of HB vaccine can be effectively used in the rapid vaccination.METHODS: Rapid vaccination (0, 1, 2 months) with low dose (5 μg) or routine dose (10 μg) HB vaccine was studied in 250 subjects (130 school children and 120 university students). Serum from all the participants was tested for HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc at 1, 3 and 7 months after the first dose of vaccination and all subjects were serum HBV marks negative before the vaccination. Non-responders to a complete initial vaccination from university students were given an additional vaccination with 10 μg of HB vaccine and their serum anti-HBs was tested again one month later.RESULTS: One month after the third dose of vaccination (third month) sero-conversion rates and geometric mean titer (GMTs) were significantly (P＜0.01) higher in the routine dose (resp. 89 % and 106.8) than in the low dose group (resp. 72 % and 59.5). Sero-conversion rates and GMTs were maintained stable for another 4 months in both groups.After an additional vaccination to non-responders with 10 μg HB vaccine, 17/23 subjects (13/15 from those vaccinated with 5 μg vaccine and 4/8 from those vaccinated with 10 μg vaccine) became anti-HBs positive, yielding similar seroconversion rates for both dose groups.CONCLUSION: Higher sero-conversion rates and GMTs were reached in those vaccinated with 10 μg HB vaccine than in those vaccinated with 5 μg HB vaccine after a comp^te vaccination with a 0, 1, 2 month scheme. But the subjects vaccinated with 5 μg vaccine can also reach the similar sero-conversion rate after an additional vaccination.

Role of NF-κB and cytokine in experimental cancer cachexia

AIM: To assess the putative involvement of NF-κB and proinflammatory cytokines in the pathogenesis of cancer cachexia and the therapeutic efficacy of indomethacin (IND)on cachexia.METHODS: Thirty young male BABL/c mice were divided randomly into five groups: (a) control, (b) tumor-bearing murine were inoculated subcutaneously to induce cachexia.Saline and IND were given intraperitoneally daily for 7 days from the onset of cachexia to sacrifice. Food intake and body composition were documented, serum levels of TNFα and IL-6 and activity of NF-κB in the spleen were investigated in all animals.RESULTS: Weight loss was observed in all tumor-bearing mice. By day 16, body weights of non-tumor mice were about 72 % of healthy controls (P＜0.01), and the weight of gastrocnemius was decreased by 28.7 % (P＜0.01). No difference was found between groups in food intake (P＞0.05).Gastrocnemius weight was increased markedly (P＜0.01)body weights were not significantly elevated. Tumor-bearing caused a 2-3 fold increase in serum levels of both TNF-αand IL-6 (P＜0.01). The concentration of TNF-α (P＜0.05)and IL-6 (P＜0.01) in tumor-bearing mice was reduced after of IL-6 was slightly elevated following treatment of IND 2.0tumor-bearing mice in comparison with controls in electrophoretic mobility shift assay (ENSA). NF-κB activity a higher NF-κB activity was observed in mice treated with CONCLUSION: Colon 26 adenocarcinoma cells can induce severe cancer cachexia experimentally, and the mechanism may be partially due to the enhanced TNF-αand IL-6 in tumor-bearing animals, which is controlled by NF-κB. Low dose of indomethacin alleviates the cachexia,decreases the activation of NF-κB and the serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6, and prevents body weight loss and muscle atrophy, while no further effect is gained by a higher dosage.