单中心山东汉族肾移植受者HLA-A、HLA-B、HLA-C、HLA-DRB1、HLA-DQB1等位基因分布及单体型多态性分析

目的分析单中心山东汉族肾移植受者HLA-A、HLA-B、HLA-C、HLA-DRB1、HLA-DQB1等位基因分布及单体型多态性特点,获取肾移植人群人类白细胞抗原(HLA)遗传学参数。方法选择2019年6月至2022年12月于青岛大学附属医院进行HLA-A、HLA-B、HLA-C、HLA-DRB1、HLA-DQB1等位基因检测的1470例肾移植受者。采用序列特异性寡核苷酸探针-聚合酶链反应法进行HLA等位基因检测。采用直接计数法计算HLA等位基因频率,对各等位基因位点进行Hardy-Weinberg平衡检验。采用Arlequin 3.5.2.2软件计算常见单体型频率。结果1470例患者中共检测到216个等位基因,其中HLA-A、HLA-B、HLA-C、HLA-DRB1、HLA-DQB1分别检出等位基因数量为36、86、33、40、21个。HLA-A、HLA-B、HLA-C等位基因的观察值与期望值比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),HLA-DRB1和HLA-DQB1等位基因的观察值与期望值比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。HLA-A~HLA-B单体型452对,HLA-B~HLA-C单体型219对,HLA-A~HLA-B~HLA-C单体型666对,HLA-B~HLA-DRB1单体型551对,HLA-DRB1~HLA-DQB1单体型91对,HLA-A~HLA-B~HLA-C~HLA-DRB1单体型1367对,HLA-A~HLA-B~HLA-C~HLA-DRB1~HLA-DQB1单体型1434对。HLA-A*30:01~HLA-B*13:02~HLA-C*06:02~HLA-DRB1*07:01~HLA-DQB1*02:02单体型频率最高。结论山东汉族肾移植受者中HLA-A*30:01~HLA-B*13:02~HLA-C*06:02~HLA-DRB1*07:01~HLA-DQB1*02:02单体型频率最高,该研究为供者等位基因检索以及受者人群遗传学研究提供了参考。

Inflammatory response in gastrointestinal cancers:Overview of six transmembrane epithelial antigens of the prostate in pathophysiology and clinical implications

Chronic inflammation is known to increase the risk of gastrointestinal cancers(GICs),the common solid tumors worldwide.Precancerous lesions,such as chronic atrophic inflammation and ulcers,are related to inflammatory responses in vivo and likely to occur in hyperplasia and tumorigenesis.Unfortunately,due to the lack of effective therapeutic targets,the prognosis of patients with GICs is still unsatisfactory.Interestingly,it is found that six transmembrane epithelial antigens of the prostate(STEAPs),a group of metal reductases,are significantly associated with the progression of malignancies,playing a crucial role in systemic metabolic homeostasis and inflammatory responses.The structure and functions of STEAPs suggest that they are closely related to intracellular oxidative stress,responding to inflammatory reactions.Under the imbalance status of abnormal oxidative stress,STEAP members are involved in cell transformation and the development of GICs by inhibiting or activating inflammatory process.This review focuses on STEAPs in GICs along with exploring their potential molecular regulatory mechanisms,with an aim to provide a theoretical basis for diagnosis and treatment strategies for patients suffering from these types of cancers.

Fasciola worm and egg-derived antigens:Exploring their diagnostic potential for urogenital schistosomiasis in resource-limited endemic regions

Objective:To evaluate the immunodiagnostic potential of crude Fasciola gigantica-worm(FWA)and egg antigen(FEA)in detecting anti-Schistosoma(S.)haematobium antibodies in sera and urine samples.Methods:This is a cross-sectional diagnostic study.Employing an indirect ELISA,antibodies against these antigens were assessed in samples from infected and non-infected individuals in both schistosomiasis endemic(NE)and non-endemic(NNE)areas,using microscopy as the diagnostic standard.Results:FWA-sera exhibited excellent diagnostic accuracy with an area under the curve(AUC)of 0.957,a sensitivity of 93.75%,and a specificity of 85.42%for discriminating between infected and non-infected individuals in non-endemic areas.FWA-urine also demonstrated robust performance,achieving AUC>0.95,sensitivity>97.0%,and specificity>85.0%in both NE and NNE categories.Notably,S.haematobium-specific antibody levels against FWA were significantly elevated in infected individuals in both endemic and non-endemic areas.FEA-sera exhibited outstanding diagnostic performance with sensitivity exceeding 90%and an AUC of 0.968 in non-endemic samples but not in FEA-urine.Conclusions:FWA-based ELISAs,applicable to both sera and urine,emerge as promising tools for S.haematobium diagnosis in resource-limited settings,offering advantages of high sensitivity and specificity with shared antigens with Fasciola.The superior diagnostic metrics of urine samples suggest their potential as a non-invasive biological sample for diagnostic purposes.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Positivity of Antinuclear Antibodies (ANA) Patterns, Native Anti-DNA and Extractable Nuclear Antigens (ENA) Antibodies: Experience from a Laboratory in Dakar

Background: Diagnosis of autoimmune diseases (AID) is challenging, due to overlapping features with other non-immune disorders. Anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) are sensitive screening tests but anti-deoxyribonucleic acid-antibody (anti-DNA), and anti-extractable nuclear antigens (anti-ENA) are specific for AIDs. We aimed to look at ANA patterns in our patients and correlated them with anti-ENA for proper interpretation and better patient management cost-effectively. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted over 1 year from January to December 2022 who were tested for ANA at biology medical laboratory of Pasteur Institute of Dakar. Anti-ENA and anti-DNA results were also analyzed for ANA-positive patients. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA 14.0, p Results: 216 patients were analyzed. Women predominated at 79.2% and mean age was 48 years [CI 95%, 46 - 50], with extremes of 10 and 89. Most represented age group was [41 - 60] with 38%. ANA was positive in 27 (12.5%) of patients, 59.2% of whom were strongly positive (titer of 1/1000, 1/3200 or 1/6400). The most common pattern was nuclear speckled, which was found in 77.8% of samples. Anti-ENA and anti-DNA positivity in ANA-positive patients was found respectively in 63% (17/27) and 1.4% (3/27) of the samples analyzed. Most commonly identified anti-ENA was anti-Sm 29.6%, anti-SSA 29.6%, anti-Ro-52 25.9%, anti-RNP 18.5% and anti-SSB 14.8% which was associated with speckled pattern. Association results indicated a significant relationship between both tests and between ANA titer in the anti-ENA- and ANA-positive patients (p 0.001). Conclusions: ANA, Anti-ENA and anti-DNA antibodies are essential for AIDS diagnosis. However, the testing repertoire should follow an algorithm comprising of clinical features, followed by ANA results with nuclear, mitotic, and cytoplasmic patterns, anti-ENA, and anti-DNA for a more meaningful, and cost-effective diagnostic approach.

Six transmembrane epithelial antigens of the prostate to illustrate inflammatory response in gastrointestinal cancers

Gastrointestinal cancer(GIC)is a common and widespread form of tumor,with colonoscopy and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy available to detect relevant precancerous polyps and lesions.However,many patients are already in the late stages when first diagnosed with such cancer,resulting in a poor prognosis.Thus,it is necessary to explore new methods and research directions in order to improve the treatment of GIC.Given the specific nature of the gastrointestinal tract,research should focus on the mechanisms of various inflammations and the interactions between food entering and exiting from the gastrointestinal tract and cancer cells.Interestingly,six transmembrane epithelial antigens of the prostates(STEAPs)have been found to be significantly linked to the progression of malignant tumors,associated with intracellular oxidative stress and playing a major role in inflammation with their structure and function.This paper explores the mechanism of STEAPs in the inflammatory response of GIC,providing a theoretical basis for the prevention and early intervention of GIC.The basic properties of the STEAP family as metal reductase are also explained.When it comes to intervention for GIC prevention,STEAPs can affect the activity of Fe^(3+),Cu^(2+) reductase and regulate metal ion uptake in vivo,participating in inflammation-related iron and copper homeostasis.Thus,the mechanism of STEAPs on inflammation is of important value in the prevention of GIC.

Human leukocyte antigen and donor-specific antibodies in liver transplantation

In this article,we comment on an article published in a recent issue of the World Journal of Gastroenterology.We specifically focus on the roles of human leukocyte antigen(HLA)and donor-specific antibodies(DSAs)in pediatric liver transpl-antation(LT),as well as the relationship between immune rejection after LT and DSA.Currently,LT remains the standard of care for pediatric patients with end-stage liver disease or severe acute liver failure.However,acute and chronic re-jection continues to be a significant cause of graft dysfunction and loss.HLA mismatch significantly reduces graft survival and increases the risk of acute rejection.Among them,D→R one-way mismatch at three loci was significantly related to graft-versus-host disease incidence after LT.The adverse impact of HLA-DSAs on LT recipients is already established.Therefore,the evaluation of HLA and DSA is crucial in pediatric LT.

Hepatitis B core-related antigen as a promising serological marker for monitoring hepatitis B virus cure

Hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection is a global health concern.The current sequen-tial endpoints for the treatment of HBV infection include viral suppression,hepatitis B e antigen(HBeAg)seroconversion,functional cure,and covalently closed circular DNA(cccDNA)clearance.Serum hepatitis B core-related antigen(HBcrAg)is an emerging HBV marker comprising three components:HBeAg,hepatitis B core antigen,and p22cr.It responds well to the transcriptional activity of cccDNA in the patient's liver and is a promising alternative marker for serolo-gical testing.There is a strong correlation,and a decrease in its level corresponds to sustained viral suppression.In patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB),serum HBcrAg levels are good predictors of HBeAg seroconversion(both spontaneous and after antiviral therapy),particularly in HBeAg-positive patients.Both low baseline HBcrAg levels and decreasing levels early in antiviral therapy favored HBsAg seroconversion,which may serve as a good surrogate option for treatment endpoints.In this review,we summarize the role of serum HBcrAg in the treat-ment of CHB.Therefore,long-term continuous monitoring of serum HBcrAg levels contributes to the clinical management of patients with CHB and optimizes the choice of treatment regimen,making it a promising marker for monitoring HBV cure.

肺结核患者血清HLA-B27和SAA水平表达与病情严重程度及并发肺部其他病原菌感染的相关性研究

目的 探究肺结核患者血清人白细胞抗原B27(human leukocyte antigen B27,HLA-B27)和血清淀粉样蛋白A(serum amyloid A,SAA)水平表达与病情严重程度及并发肺部其他病原菌感染的相关性研究。方法 选取2021年9月~2023年9月期间在首都医科大学附属北京地坛医院就诊的120例肺结核并发肺部感染患者作为研究组,另选取同期就诊的120例肺结核患者作为对照组。根据肺炎严重度指数(pneumonia severity index,PSI)将研究组患者分为低危组(n=47)、中危组(n=42)及高危组(n=31)。采集患者痰液进行病原体检测;采用酶联免疫吸附法(ELISA)测定血清HLA-B27,SAA表达水平;采用多因素Logistic回归分析影响肺结核并发肺部感染患者病情严重程度的因素。采用受试者工作特征(ROC)曲线分析血清HLA-B27,SAA对肺结核并发肺部感染患者严重程度的诊断效能。结果 与对照组相比,研究组患者血清HLA-B27阳性率(72.50%vs 19.17%),SAA(9.32±2.32 ng/ml vs 4.64±1.04 ng/ml)表达水平均显著升高,差异具有统计学意义(χ^(2)=68.744,t=20.164,均P<0.05)。研究组患者中共分离出病原菌84株,包括革兰氏阴性菌46株,革兰氏阳性菌34株,真菌4株;其中肺炎克雷伯菌所占比例最高(15.48%)。与低危组相比,中危组、高危组肺结核并发肺部感染患者HLA-B27阳性率(76.19%,93.55%vs 55.32%),SAA表达水平(9.35±2.35ng/ml,10.94±2.42ng/ml vs 8.23±2.23ng/ml)、PSI评分(108.63±12.47分,145.93±12.44分vs 54.48±17.31分)依次显著升高,差异具有统计学意义(χ^(2)=4.256,13.130,t=2.306,5.077;15.021,25.384,均P<0.05)。肺结核并发肺部感染患者血清HLA-B27,SAA水平与PSI评分呈正相关(r=0.385,0.522,均P<0.05)。多因素Logistics回归分析结果发现,HLA-B27阳性、SAA表达水平升高是影响肺结核并发肺部感染患者病情严重程度的危险因素(P<0.05)。血清HLA-B27,SAA二者联合诊断肺部感染患者病情严重程度的曲线下面积(AUC)最高,优于血清HLA-B27,SAA各自单独诊断(Z=3.132,2.131,P=0.002,0.033)。结论 肺结核并发肺部感染患者的病原菌分布主要以革兰氏阴性菌为主,血清HLA-B27阳性率、SAA表达水平升高与肺结核并发肺部感染患者病情发展密切相关,二者联合可以更好地诊断肺部感染患者病情严重程度。

mRNA Expression of the Cancer-testis Antigens SSX1 and SSX4 in Human Hepatocellular Carcinomas

Objective: To detect the mRNA expression of the cancer-testis antigens (CT) SSX1 and SSX4 gene in human hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) and to investigate the specificity of their expression in HCCs. Methods: The mRNA expression of SSX1 and SSX4 in HCC tissues and the corresponding nearby liver tissues in 35 cases was detected by using RT-PCR; Six positive RT-PCR products were randomly selected and sequenced. Results: In all 35 HCC tissues, SSX1 in 27 cases (81%) and SSX4 in 23 cases (73%) were detected, and their expression was negative in the liver tissues nearby HCC and the non-tumor liver tissues (12 cirrhotic tissues and 15 normal tissues). In all 6 cases selected randomly, the results of DNA sequencing were identical with the cDNA sequence of SSX1 and SSX4 genes. The SSX1, SSX4 mRNA expression was not significantly correlated with age, sex, the tumor size, the level of tumor differentiation, the serum AFP level and the infection rate of HBV and HCV respectively (P>0.05). Conclusion: The SSX1, SSX4 mRNA expression was greatly specific in HCCs, which would not only provide the ideal target molecular sites for HCC tumor vaccines, but also establish the potential value of the polyvalent tumor-antigen vaccines for HCC therapy and its theory bases.

Involvement of X-chromosome reactivation in augmenting cancer testis antigens expression:A hy pothesis

Cancer testis antigens(CTAs)are attractive targets for tumor imm unotherapy because of their tumor specific expression,Since more than half of confirmed CTAs are located on the X-chromosome,we asked whether there is a link between CTA expression and X-chromosomes.Recent reports have shown that reactivation of the inactive X-chromosome,known as X-chromosome reactivation(XCR),a unique phenomenon that exists in many high-risk tumors in women,can transform the expression of many X-linked genes from monoallelic to biallelic.

局灶性癫痫患儿HLA-B*1502等位基因与抗癫痫发作治疗的关系

目的:探讨局灶性癫痫患儿HLA-B*1502等位基因检测与抗癫痫发作治疗的关系。方法:选择2017年6月至2020年6月于郑州大学第三附属医院就诊的局灶性癫痫并行HLA-B*1502等位基因检测的患儿138例,分析抗癫痫发作药物(ASM)的选择及药品不良反应(ADR)发生情况。结果:138例患儿中HLA-B*1502等位基因CC基因型(阴性组)117例(84.78%),CG或GC基因型(阳性组)21例(15.22%)。阴性组全部采用奥卡西平(OXC)治疗,控制率54.70%,有效率20.51%,无效率24.79%;其中10例(8.55%)存在ADR,减药或停药处理后症状均好转。21例阳性组患儿回避卡马西平,4例(19.05%)采用OXC治疗,17例(80.95%)采用非OXC治疗,采用OXC治疗的4例均未发现ADR。结论:HLA-B*1502等位基因检测阴性患儿使用OXC过程中仍需警惕ADR;阳性患儿也存在使用OXC的时机,但需小剂量缓慢滴定并观察有无ADR。

Colorectal cancer vaccines: Tumor-associated antigens vs neoantigens

Therapeutic options for the treatment of colorectal cancer(CRC) are diverse but still not always satisfying. Recent success of immune checkpoint inhibition treatment for the subgroup of CRC patients suffering from hypermutated tumors suggests a permanent role of immune therapy in the clinical management of CRC. Substantial improvement in treatment outcome could be achieved by development of efficient patient-individual CRC vaccination strategies. This mini-review summarizes the current knowledge on the two general classes of targets: tumor-associated antigens(TAAs) and tumorspecific antigens. TAAs like carcinoembryonic antigen and melanoma associated antigen are present in and shared by a subgroup of patients and a variety of clinical studies examined the efficacy of different TAA-derived peptide vaccines. Combinations of several TAAs as the next step and the development of personalized TAA-based peptide vaccines are discussed. Improvements of peptidebased vaccines achievable by adjuvants and immunestimulatory chemotherapeutics are highlighted. Finally, we sum up clinical studies using tumor-specific antigens-in CRC almost exclusively neoantigens-which revealed promising results; particularly no severe adverse events were reported so far. Critical progress for clinical outcomes can be expected by individualizing neoantigen-based peptide vaccines and combining them with immunestimulatory chemotherapeutics and immune checkpoint inhibitors. In light of these data and latest developments, truly personalized neoantigen-based peptide vaccines can be expected to fulfill modern precision medicine's requirements and will manifest as treatment pillar for routine clinical management of CRC.

Expression and significance of HBV genes and their antigens in human primary intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

AIM To explore the etiology and pathogenesis of human primary intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, the expression of HBV genes and HBV-antigens was detected in the cancerous tissue and its surrounding hepatic tissues.METHODS HBV-antigens were detected by immunohistochemical technique and HBV genes were examined with in situ hybridization.RESULTS In 20 cases of cholangiocarcinoma, the positive detection rate of HBxAg, pre-S1, pre-S2, HBsAg and HBcAg was 75%, 40%, 40%, 10% and 0%, respectively, and in the surrounding hepatic tissues of 19 cases the positive rates were 84.2%, 47.9%, 47.9%, 31.6% and 31.6%. Among 40 cases of cholangiocarcinoma, the positive rate of HBV-DNA, x gene, pre-s gene, s gene and s gene fell on 77.5%, 70.0%, 47.5%, 40% and 42.5%, respectively, and of the surrounding hepatic tissues in 33 cases, 87.9%, 84.8%, 63.6%, 69.7% and 66.7%.CONCLUSION The development of human primary intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma bears a close relationship with chronic persistent HBV infection. Particularly, the x gene of HBV and its protein (HBxAg) might play an important role in pathogenesis of hepatic carcinoma.A large number of studies indicate a close relationship between human primary hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, which is considered generally as an important factor in the development of hepatic carcinoma[1,2]. In human primary hepatic carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma is more frequently encountered, while intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ChC), including hepatocholangiocarcinoma (HChC), is relatively less, being 8%-10%[3]. For a long time, the etiology and pathogenesis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma have been unclear. A few reports considered it to be related to infestation with clonorchiasis sinensis[4,5], but never involved with HBV infection. We used immunohistochemical technique and in situ hybridization methods to detect HBV genes and their -related antigens in the tissues of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and its surrounding hepatic tissues for the purpose of exploring the etiology and pathogenesis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Antigens synthesis and antibodies preparation for furazolidone and its metabolite 3-amino-2-oxazolidinone

Two haptens of 3-[（5-amino-furan-2-ylmethylene）amino]oxazolidin-5-one（FZ-NH_2） and 3-{[（4-carboxyphenyl）methylene]-amino} -2-oxazolidinone（CPAOZ） were synthesized.For FZ-NH2,immunogens were prepared by glutaraldehyde and diazo salt methods.For CPAOZ,immunogens were connected by the methods of the active ester and mixed acid anhydride.Compared with the combination,indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ic-ELISA） was developed with coating antigen of FZ-NH2 -OVA via the glutaraldehyde method and immunogen of CPAOZ-KLH via active ester method.Fo furazolidone and its metabolite AOZ（NPAOZ as derivative）,the sensitivities（IC50） were 2.0μg/L and 2.5μg/L,limits of detection（IC15） were 0.09μg/L and 0.25μg/L,respectively.A sensitive method was developed for the simultaneous determination of furazolidone in feed and its metabolite AOZ in tissue.

Design and efficient synthesis of novel haptens and complete antigens for the AOZ,a toxic metabolite of furazolidone

A good strategy was brought forward for designing efficient haptens and complete antigens for 3-amino-2-oxazolidinone （AOZ）. Haptens designed newly were achieved facilely in good yield by using LiCI-N（Et）3 as new catalysis system, the structure of which was elucidated by spectroscopy analysis, such as NMR and MS. Novel antigens for AOZ were prepared successfully by convenient active ester method. The ratios of haptens 3 and 4 to carrier proteins were proven respectively as 41 ： 1 （5a）, 39：1 （6a）, 11：1 （5b） and 9：1 （6b） by trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid （TNBS） method. The results of indirect competitive ELISA （ic-ELISA） of antiserums indicated that the haptens with a short unsaturated side chain can evoke specific immune response effectively.

Reaction of antibodies to Campylobacter jejuni and cytolethal distending toxin B with tissues and food antigens

BACKGROUND The bacteria Campylobacter jejuni(C. jejuni) is commonly associated with GuillaneBarré syndrome(GBS) and irritable bowel syndrome(IBS), but studies have also linked it with Miller Fisher syndrome, reactive arthritis and other disorders, some of which are autoimmune. It is possible that C. jejuni and its toxins may be crossreactive with some human tissues and food antigens, potentially leading to autoimmune responses.AIM To measure the immune reactivity of C. jejuni and C. jejuni cytolethal distending toxin(Cdt) antibodies with tissue and food antigens to examine their role in autoimmunities.METHODS Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) methodology, specific antibodies made against C. jejuni and C. jejuni Cdt were applied to a variety of microwell plates coated with 45 tissues and 180 food antigens. The resulting immunoreactivities were compared to reactions with control wells coated with human serum albumin(HSA) which were used as negative controls and with wells coated with C. jejuni lysate or C. jejuni Cdt which served as positive controls.RESULTS At 3 SD above the mean of control wells coated with HSA or 0.41 OD, the mouse monoclonal antibody made against C. jejuni showed moderate to high reactions with zonulin, somatotropin, acetylcholine receptor, β-amyloid and presenilin.This immune reaction was low with an additional 25 tissue antigens including asialoganglioside, and the same antibody did not react at all with another 15 tissue antigens. Examining the reaction between C. jejuni antibody and 180 food antigens, we found insignificant reactions with 163 foods but low to high immune reactions with 17 food antigens. Similarly, we examined the reaction of C. jejuni Cdt with the same tissues and food antigens. The strongest reactions were observed with zonulin, intrinsic factor and somatotropin. The reaction was moderate with 9 different tissue antigens including thyroid peroxidase, and reaction was low with another 10 different antigens, including neuronal antigens.The reaction of C. jejuni Cdt antibody with an additional 23 tissue antigens was insignificant. Regarding the reaction of C. jejuni Cdt antibody with different food antigens, 160 out of 180 foods showed insignificant reactions, while 20 foods showed reactions ranging from low to high.CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that C. jejuni and its Cdt may play a role in inflammation and autoimmunities beyond the gut.

Recognition of HBV antigens and HBV DNA by dendritic cells

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a hepatotropic, noncytopathic, DNA virus which can cause acute and chronic infection. Viral persistence is associated with a weak or absent specific immune responses to HBV, particularly the cellular immune response. Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells with a unique T cell stimulatory aptitude that play a crucial role in the instruction of adaptive immune responses upon infection. An impaired function of DCs was suggested by recent studies to account for the T and B cell hyporesponsiveness in chronic HBV infection. This review summarizes recent insights into the recognition of HBV antigens by DCs. DATA SOURCES: Studies were identified by searching MEDLINE and/or PubMed for articles using the key words 'hepatitis B virus (HBV)', 'dendritic cells', 'C-type lectins', 'mannose receptor', 'toll-like receptor', and 'dendritic cell-specific intercellular-adhesion-molecule-3 grabbing nonintegrin (DC-SIGN)' up to December 2009. Additional papers were identified by a manual search of the references from the key articles. RESULTS: DCs play an important role in the progress of hepatitis B, especially in the recognition of HBV. There are three main ways of recognition of HBV antigens by DCs. First, HBV DNA can be recognized by DCs through toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) which activates the NF-kappa B signal pathway and p38 MAPK to up-regulate the expression of interferon (IFN) regulatory factor 7 (IRF-7) in a manner independent of type I IFN signaling, resulting in secretion of type I IFN and inflammatory cytokines, and induction of DC maturation and the adaptive immune response. Second, HBc/HBeAg cannot be recognized by DCs, but DNA or ssRNA encapsulated within HBcAg can be internalized by DCs through TLRs. Third, HBsAg can be internalized by DCs through the mannose receptor, which lacks the ability to induce DC maturation without the assistance of DC-SIGN. Meanwhile, there is some cross-talk among the three mechanisms, which induces an effective anti-viral response or HBV persistence. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of these recognition processes, methods have been used to enhance the efficacy of DC-based vaccine against HBV and have been useful in the clinical application of HBV vaccine therapy. But the interactions between HBV antigens/HBV DNA and DCs are not clear, and cross-talk between TLRs and various ligands makes HBV antigen recognition by DCs more complicated. More efforts should be made to define the mechanisms and develop effective vaccines and therapies. (Hepatobiliary Pancreat Dis Int 2010; 9:584-592)

Cancer/testis antigens： novel tools for discerning aggressive and non-aggressive prostate cancer

The introduction of serum prostate-specific antigen （PSA） in the 1980s has dramatically altered and benefited the initial diagnosis of prostate cancer. However, the widespread use of PSA testing has resulted in overdetection and overtreatment of potentially indolent disease. Thus, a clinical dilemma today in the management of prostate cancer is to discern men with aggressive disease who need definitive treatment from men whose disease are not lethal. Although several serum and tissue biomarkers have been evaluated during the past decade, improved markers are still needed to enhance the accuracy, with which patients at risk can be discerned and treated more aggressively. The cancer/testis antigens （CTAs） are a group of proteins that are restricted to the testis in the normal adult, but are aberrantly expressed in several types of cancers. Because of their restricted expression pattern, the CTAs represent attractive biomarker candidates for cancer diagnosis/prognosis. Furthermore, several studies to date have reported the differential expression of CTAs in prostate cancer. Here, we review recent developments that demonstrate the potential of the CTAs as biomarkers to discern the a^ressive Dhenotvoe of orostate cancer.

Intrahepatic distribution of hepatitis B virus antigens in patients with and without hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM: To study the intrahepatic expression of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) in chronic hepatitis B patients with and without hepatocellular carcinoma.METHODS: A total of 33 chronic hepatitis B patients (mean age of 40.3 &#x000b1; 2.5 years), comprising of 14 HBeAg positive and 19 HBeAg negative patients; and 13 patients with hepatitis B virus related hepatocellular carcinoma (mean age of 49.6 &#x000b1; 4.7 years), were included in our study. Immunohistochemical staining for HBcAg and HBsAg was done using standard streptavidin-biotin-immunoperoxidase technique on paraffin-embedded liver biopsies. The HBcAg and HBsAg staining distributions and patterns were described according to a modified classification system.RESULTS: Compared to the HBeAg negative patients, the HBeAg positive patients were younger, had higher mean HBV DNA and alanine transaminases levels. All the HBeAg positive patients had intrahepatic HBcAg staining; predominantly with &#x0201c;diffuse&#x0201d; distribution (79%) and &#x0201c;mixed cytoplasmic/nuclear&#x0201d; pattern (79%). In comparison, only 5% of the HBeAg-negative patients had intrahepatic HBcAg staining. However, the intrahepatic HBsAg staining has wider distribution among the HBeAg negative patients, namely; majority of the HBeAg negative cases had &#x0201c;patchy&#x0201d; HBsAg distribution compared to &#x0201c;rare&#x0201d; distribution among the HBeAg positive cases. All but one patient with HCC were HBeAg negative with either undetectable HBV DNA or very low level of viremia. Intrahepatic HBcAg and HBsAg were seen in 13 (100%) and 10 (77%) of the HCC patients respectively. Interestingly, among the 9 HCC patients on anti-viral therapy with suppressed HBV DNA, HBcAg and HBsAg were detected in tumor tissues but not the adjacent liver in 4 (44%) and 1 (11%) patient respectively.CONCLUSION: Isolated intrahepatic HBcAg and HBsAg can be present in tumors of patients with suppressed HBV DNA on antiviral therapy; that may predispose them to cancer development.

Analysis of Protoscoleces-specific Antigens from Echinococcus Granulosus with Proteomics Combined with Western Blot

Objective To establish and optimize the proteomic analysis of protoscoleces-specific antigens from Echinococcus granulosus. To provide a foundation for identifying specific antigens in the soluble proteins of E. granulosus protoscoleces for further research. Methods Brood capsules were collected aseptically from fertile E. granulosus cysts from the livers of an infected patient. The fertile E. granulosus cysts were fractured, and protoscoleces were collected by centrifugation. The soluble proteins of protoscoleces were acquired using the 2D Quant kit according to the manufacturer＇s instructions. We employed two-dimensional electrophoresis （2-DE） combined with immunoblot assay （Western blot） to analyze the soluble components of E. granulosus protoscoleces antigens. The 2-DE and immunoblot maps obtained were analyzed with PDQuest 8.0 image analysis software. Results About 233 soluble protein spots were identified with Coomassie-stained gels. Most of the proteins had a molecular weight of 16 000 Da to 117 000 Da, and an isoelectric point value of 3.0 to 10.0. 2-DE immunoblot was conducted and 57 specific antigen spots were observed, among which 23 spots were identified. Conclusion 2-DE combined with Western blot is the key to successful proteomic analysis and presents a new possibility for searching the specific E. granulosus protoscoleces antigens.