Metallothionein 1 Isoform Gene Expression Induced by Cadmium in Human Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes

Objective To study the gene expression of metallothionein 1 （MT-1） isoforms in human peripheral blood lymphocytes （HPBLs）. Methods The expression of mRNA representing the seven active MT-I genes was determined in HPBLs by quantitative RT-PCR before and after exposure to cadmium. Results Basal expressions of MT-IX, and MT-1A in HPBLs were similar to expression of housekeeping gene. In contrast, the basal gene expressions of MT- 1 H, IF, 1E, and 1G were a little transcripts in human HPBLs. No signal was detected for MT-1B. There was a sex difference （P〈0.05）. in basal gene expression of MT-1E. The levels of gene expression of MT-1A, 1E, IF, 1G, 1H, and 1X increased, but the level of MT-1B did not increase after exposure to cadmium. Conclusions Gene expressions of MT-1 G, MT-1 H, MT-1 F, and MT-1X in HPBLs can be used as a potential biomarker of cadmium exposure.

Genotoxicity evaluation of drinking water sources in human peripheral blood lymphocytes using the comet assay

The potential harm of organic pollutants in drinking water to human health is widely focused on in the wodd; more and more pollutants with genotoxic substances are released into the aquatic environment. Water source samples were collected from 7 different localities of Nanjing City. The potential genotoxicity of organic extracts from drinking water sources were investigated by means of the comet assay in human peripheral lymphocytes. The results showed that all the organic extracts from all the water source samples could induce DNA damages of human peripheral blood lymphocytes at different levels. A significant difference （P 〈 0.01） was observed when compared with the solvent control, The DNA damage increased with the increase of the dosage of the original water source. Significant differences of DNA damage were observed in different drinking water sources, as shown by the multiple comparisons analysis at the dosage of 100x; the degree of DNA damage treated by Hushu waterworks （at town level） was the most serious, the arbitrary units （AU） was 141.62±6.96, however, that of Shangyuanmen waterworks （at city level） was only 109.64±2.97. The analysis also revealed that the genotoxicity of town＇s water sources was higher than that of the city. The results demonstrated that the comet assay can be successfully applied to the genotoxicity monitoring programs of drinking water sources.

DNA Damage Response in Resting and Proliferating Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes Treated by Camptothecin or X-ray

DNA damage response （DDR） in different cell cycle status of human peripheral blood lymphocytes （PBLs） and the role of H2AX in DDR were investigated. The PBLs were stimulated into cell cycle with phytohemagglutinin （PHA）. The apoptotic ratio and the phosphorylation H2AX （S139） were flow cytometrically measured in resting and proliferating PBLs after treatment with camptothecin （CPT） or X-ray. The expressions of γH2AX, Bcl-2, caspase-3 and caspase-9 were detected by Western blotting. DDR in 293T cells was detected after H2AX was silenced by RNAi method. Our results showed that DNA double strand breaks （DSBs） were both induced in quiescent and proliferating PBLs after CPT or X-ray treatment. The phosphorylation of H2AX and apoptosis were more sensitive in proliferating PBLs compared with quiescent lymphocytes （P0.05）. The expression levels of anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 were reduced and cleaved caspase-3 and caspase-9 were increased. No significant changes were observed in CPT-induced apoptosis in 293T cells between H2AX knocking down group and controls. It was concluded that proliferating PBLs were more vulnerable to DNA damage compared to non-stimulated lymphocytes and had higher apoptosis rates. γH2AX may only serve as a marker of DNA damage but exert no effect on apoptosis regulation.

EXPRESSION OF IL-2R ON PERIPHERAL BLOOD LYMPHOCYTES OF PATIENTS WITH COLORECTAL CANCER AND ITS CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Objective: To study expression of membrane receptors of interleukin-2 (CD25) on the peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of patients with colorectal cancer and its clinical significance. Methods: CD25 percentages (CD25%) in PBL of 105 colorectal cancer patients before operation and 100 normal individuals were examined by flow cytometer, and the results were clinically and pathologically analyzed. Results: The mean of CD25% in PBL of the normal individuals was 17.24±5.33, it was significantly lower (P<0.01) than that of the colon cancer patients (21.29±7.95) or rectal cancer patients (21.62±6.11). In contrast to the normal individuals, the means of CD25% in PBL in ulcer type (20.53±6.50) or protruded type (21.56±6.16) colorectal cancer patients were notably elevated (P<0.01). The significant difference (P<0.01) of means of CD25% in PBL was observed between the normal individuals and patients with less than 4 cm mass (22.10±5.43) or 4cm–8cm mass (20.90±6.96). The significant difference (P<0.05) of means of CD25% in PBL was also observed between the normal individuals and patients with greater than 8 cm mass (21.56±5.41). The mean of CD25% in PBL in patients with well differentiation colorectal cancer was 22.20±5.50, it was significantly higher than that in normal individuals (P<0.05). The means of CD25% in PBL in patients with middle or poor differentiation colorectal cancer were 21.30±6.89 and 22.15±5.71 respectively, they were obviously higher than that in normal individuals (P<0.01). The significant difference (P<0.01) of means of CD25% in PBL was present between the colorectal cancer patients without metastatic lymph nodes (22.06±6.90) and normal individuals. The significant difference (P<0.05) of means of CD25% in PBL was present between the colorectal cancer patients with metastatic lymph nodes (20.73±6.40) and normal individuals. The means of CD25% in PBL in colorectal cancer patients in various clinic stages were significantly higher than that in the health subjects (P<0.01). The significant difference (P<0.01) of means of CD25% in PBL was present between the patients whose ages were equal to or less than 60 (21.00±5.76) and normal individuals in the same age group. The significant difference (P<0.05) of means of CD25% in PBL was also present between the patients whose ages were greater than 60 (22.54±7.75) and normal individuals in the same age group. The significant difference (P<0.01) of means of CD25% in PBL was present between the male patients (22.55±7.05) and normal men. The significant difference (P<0.05) of means of CD25% in PBL was also present between the female patients (20.09±5.48) and normal women. Conclusion: The mean of CD25% in PBL of colorectal cancer patients was significantly higher than that in health subjects. Abnormally elevated CD25% were correlative with site of tumor growth, macropathology type of tumor, the degree of tumor differentiation, clinical stage and patient’s age and sex. It may be helpful to detect CD25% in PBL of colorectal cancer patients before operation for diagnosis, immune treatment and judging prognosis.

Comparative characterization of human fetal neural stem cells and induced neural stem cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Human-induced neural stem cells(iNSCs)transplantation is a potential treatment of neurodegeneration diseases.However,whether the reprogrammed cells have the same characterizations as human fetal neural stem cells needs further exploration.Here we isolated human fetal neural stem cells from aborted 12-week fetal brains and compared with iNSCs reprogrammed from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells in gene expression,proliferation ability,differentiation capacity,and the responses to tumor necrosis factor-α.We found that iNSCs and NSCs both expressed neural stem cell markers Nestin,SOX1,and SOX2.However,only iNSCs can be patterned into dopaminergic neurons and motor neurons.Furthermore,both iNSCs and NSCs can differentiate into oligodendrocyte progenitor cells.In addition,a low dose of tumor necrosis factor-αdid not inhibit the proliferation and differentiation of iNSCs and NSCs.In conclusion,iNSCs have properties similar to,and even better than,fetal neural stem cells and may be suitable for disease modeling and transplantation.

Isolation of Sturgeon Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes and the Optimal Proliferation Response Conditions

In this study, sterlet （ Acipenser ruthenus ） was chosen as the model species of sturgeon, different solutions were used to isolate the sturgeon peripheral blood lymphocytes and study their optimal proliferate response condition. Phytohemagglutinin （PHA）, concanavalin A （ConA）and lipopolysaccharide （LPS） were used as lymphocyte proliferation mitogen, respectively. According to L 25 （5^6） five-factor five-level orthogonal experimental design, the conditions for sturgeons proliferation response of peripheral blood lymphocytes were optimized using enhanced cell counting Kit-8 （enhanced CCK-8 or WST-8）. Five factors were selected to explore the optimal response conditions, including culture time, culture temperature, cell concentration, fetal bovine serum （FBS） concentration, and mitogen concentration. The results showed that 70% Percoll （1.092 g/ml） used as the sturgeon lymphocyte separation solution had the best separating effect. The optimal proliferation conditions were as follows： 3.625×10 6 initial cells, 20 μg/ml PHA or 50 μg/ml ConA or 10 μg/ml LPS as mitogen, 10%-20% FBS, the temperature at 20-25 ℃, and the culture time of 2 d.

X-ray-induced Expression Changes of TNFSF4 Gene in Human Peripheral Blood

This study examined ionizing radiation-induced tumor necrosis factor （ligand） superfamily, member 4 （TNFSF4） mRNA expression changes in human peripheral blood cells and their distribution in a normal population. The results showed that expression level of TNFSF4 mRNA exhibited a dose- dependent response after different irradiation doses, but that was independent of incubation time post-irradiation. Moreover, it was not affected by age and gender in 51 healthy donors. Our studies indicate that TNFSF4 can be considered as a candidate gene to develop a new biodosimeter.

Study on Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes ChromosomeAbnormality of People Exposed to Cadmium in Environment

Chromosome aberration (CA) and micmnucleus (MN) tests were appied to investigate Peripheral blood lymphocytes in 56 people environmentally exposed to cadwhum (Cd) for a period up to 30years, and in 10 unexposed People as controls. As indicator of body-load of Cd, urineq Cd (UCd)concentrations were measured simultaneously. The People in polluted villages were divided into four groups according to vallous levels of UCd concentrations: ~ 2 .5, 2 .5 ~, 5 .0 ~, 10.0 ~ (μg/l).There was significant difference in MN rates between the exposed and control groups (3 .47, 5 .06,8.06, 12 .75‰ for the exposed groups respectively, and 3. 10‰ for the controls), and significant correlation between MN rates and UCd was observed. Although no markesd difference in CA rates was noted between UCd 5 .0 ~ and 10 .0 ~ groups, there was significant difference in CA rates between the exposed and control groups (3. 07,5. 21, 7. 21, 8. 50% for exposed groups respectively, and2 .33% for the controls) and significant correlation between CA rates and UCd. CA was presented mainly in the form of chromatid and chromosome gaps and breaks. Together with our another study 'An Investigation on Human Health Effects by Envimnmental Cadmium Pollution', the results suggest that Cd may injure human chromosomes and that the damage appears to be concentrated on cytogenetic material and may happen earlier than renal disfunction

Isolation and Characterization of Multipotent and Pluripotent Stem Cells from Human Peripheral Blood

Stem cells are commonly classified based on the developmental stage from which they are isolated, although this has been a source of debate amongst stem cell scientists. A common approach classifies stem cells into three different groupings: Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs), Umbilical Cord Stem Cells (UCBSCs) and Adult Stem Cells (ASCs), which include stem cells from bone marrow (BM), fat tissue (FT), engineered induced pluripotent (IP) and peripheral blood (PB). By definition stem cells are progenitor cells capable of self-renewal and differentiation hypothetically “ab infinitum” into more specialized cells and tissue. The main intent of this study was to determine and characterize the different sub-groups of stem cells present within the human PB-SCs that may represent a valid opportunity in the field of clinical regenerative medicine. Stem cells in the isolated mononucleated cells were characterized using a multidisciplinary approach that was based on morphology, the expression of stem cell markers by flowcytometry and fluorescence analysis, RT-PCR and the capacity to self-renew or proliferate and differentiate into specialized cells. This approach was used to identify the expression of hematopoietic, mesenchymal, embryonic and neural stem cell markers. Both isolated adherent and suspension mononucleated cells were able to maintain their stem cell properties during in-vitro culture by holding their capacity for proliferation and differentiation into osteoblast cells, respectively, when exposed to the appropriate induction medium.

Investigation of the cytotoxicity,antioxidative and immune-modulatory effects of Ligusticum porteri(Osha) root extract on human peripheral blood lymphocytes

OBJECTIVE： Ligusticum ported is a traditional Native American herb. The roots of L. ported are traditionally used in the treatment of many diseases, however, its cytotoxicity, antioxidative and immune- modulatory effects need to be investigated. In this study, we evaluated the effects of the root extract at different doses on human peripheral blood lymphocytes （PBLs）. METHODS： The lymphocytes were incubated with different concentrations of the root extracts （0, 50, 100, 200, and 400 μg/mL） and harvested every 6 h for 2 d （P〈0.05）. The protective effect of the herb against oxidative damage was determined by inducing oxidative stress with the administration of 50 μmol/L of hydrogen peroxide （H202）. RESULTS： Treatments with L. ported at 200 and 400 pg/mL increased the viability of PBLs. The deleterious effect of H2O2 was ameliorated by 400μg/mL L. ported treatment. Addition of 400 μg/mL L. ported reduced lipid peroxidation in stressed PBLs by 94% （P〈0.05）. Treatment with 400 μg/mL of L. ported resulted in a 26.4% increase of reduced glutathione levels. Activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase increased by 17.5% and 55.2% respectively, when stressed PBLs were treated with 400 μg/mL L. ported for 2 d （P〈0.05）. Treatment with 400 μg/mL L. ported increased interferon-γand interleukin-2 expressions in H2O2-challenged PBLs （P〈0.05）, however, the root extract did not cause a significant difference in interleukin-10 levels compared to the control （P〉0.05）. CONCLUSION： The findings suggest that L involving protective effects against oxidative ported might be a potential immune-modulating agent damage.

Potassium channel in peripheral blood lymphocytes of turbot (Scophthalmus maximus)

In order to provide pertinent evidence of ion channel with immune response in the fish, whole cell patch-clamp technique was employed for potassium ion channel study in turbot （Scophthalmus maximus）. Lymphocytes were isolated by Percoll density gradient centrifugation from peripheral blood samples, and electrophysiological characters of the channel were analyzed. In the recorded cells, activated voltage of the channels was -42.5±3.7 mV and the average peak current was 313.12±28.2 pA. The channel was identified as voltage dependent, the current was outward and it could be inhibited by 10 mmol/dma TEA or 5 mmol/dm^3 4-AP, a specific potassium channel inhibitor, identifying the existence of potassium channel in peripheral lymphocytes of the turbot.

Alterations of mtDNA copy number and 4977 bp deletion induced by ionizing radiation in human peripheral blood

Alterations of mitochondria DNA(mtDNA)4977 bp common deletion(CD)and mtDNA copy number induced by ionizing radiation were observed in human different cell lines and total body irradiation patients.However,only few experiments have evaluated the levels of the CD and mtDNA copy number in human peripheral blood exposed to ionizing radiation till now.The aim of this study is to analyze the mtDNA alterations in irradiated human peripheral blood from healthy donors as well as to explore their feasibility as biomarkers for constructing new biodosimeter.Peripheral blood samples were collected from six healthy donors,and exposed to 60Co gamma ray with the doses of 0 Gy,1 Gy,2 Gy,3 Gy,4 Gy and 5 Gy.Levels of the CD and mtDNA copy number in irradiated samples after 2h or 24h incubation were detected using TaqMan real-time PCR,and the CD ratio was calculated.The results showed that the mean of the CD ratio and the CD copy number exhibited a dose-dependent increase 2 h in the dose range from 0–5 Gy,and of the mtDNA copy number significantly increased 24 h in irradiated groups compared with 0 Gy group after irradiation.It indicates that the parameters in human peripheral blood may be considered as molecular biomarkers to applying construction of new biodosimeter.

Establishment of a humanized mouse model using steady-state peripheral blood-derived hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells facilitates screening of cancer-targeted T-cell repertoires

Background:Cancer-targeted T-cell receptor T(TCR-T)cells hold promise in treating cancers such as hematological malignancies and breast cancers.However,approaches to obtain cancer-reactive TCR-T cells have been unsuccessful.Methods:Here,we developed a novel strategy to screen for cancer-targeted TCR-T cells using a special humanized mouse model with person-specific immune fingerprints.Rare steady-state circulating hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells were expanded via three-dimensional culture of steady-state peripheral blood mononuclear cells,and then the expanded cells were applied to establish humanized mice.The human immune system was evaluated according to the kinetics of dendritic cells,monocytes,T-cell subsets,and cytokines.To fully stimulate the immune response and to obtain B-cell precursor NAML-6-and triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231-targeted TCR-T cells,we used the inactivated cells above to treat humanized mice twice a day every 7 days.Then,human T cells were processed for TCRβ-chain(TRB)sequencing analysis.After the repertoires had been constructed,features such as the fraction,diversity,and immune signature were investigated.Results:The results demonstrated an increase in diversity and clonality of T cells after treatment.The preferential usage and features of TRBV,TRBJ,and the V–J combination were also changed.The stress also induced highly clonal Science and Technology,Grant/Award Number:2021C03010;Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China,Grant/Award Numbers:LTGY24H080003,LY21H080004 expansion.Tumor burden and survival analysis demonstrated that stress induction could significantly inhibit the growth of subsequently transfused live tumor cells and prolong the survival of the humanized mice.Conclusions:We constructed a personalized humanized mouse model to screen cancer-targeted TCR-T pools.Our platform provides an effective source of cancer-targeted TCR-T cells and allows for the design of patient-specific engineered T cells.It therefore has the potential to greatly benefit cancer treatment.

Human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells promote regeneration of crush-injured rat sciatic nerves

Several studies have demonstrated that human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells can promote neural regeneration following brain injury. However, the therapeutic effects of human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells in guiding peripheral nerve regeneration remain poorly understood. This study was designed to investigate the effects of human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells on neural regeneration using a rat sciatic nerve crush injury model. Human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells （1 ~ 106） or a PBS control were injected into the crush-injured segment of the sciatic nerve. Four weeks after cell injection, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and tyrosine kinase receptor B mRNA expression at the lesion site was increased in comparison to control. Furthermore, sciatic function index, Fluoro Gold-labeled neuron counts and axon density were also significantly increased when compared with control. Our results indicate that human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchvmal stem cells promote the functinnal r~.RcJv^rv nf P.n I^h-inillr^4 ~r^i~tit, n^r~e

Combined use of Y-tube conduits with human umbilical cord stem cells for repairing nerve bifurcation defects

Given the anatomic complexity at the bifurcation point of a nerve trunk,enforced suturing between stumps can lead to misdirection of nerve axons,thereby resulting in adverse consequences.We assumed that Y-tube conduits injected with human umbilical cord stem cells could be an effective method to solve such problems,but studies focused on the best type of Y-tube conduit remain controversial.Therefore,the present study evaluated the applicability and efficacy of various types of Y-tube conduits containing human umbilical cord stem cells for treating rat femoral nerve defects on their bifurcation points.At 12 weeks after the bridging surgery that included treatment with different types of Y-tube conduits,there were no differences in quadriceps femoris muscle weight or femoral nerve ultrastructure.However,the Y-tube conduit group with longer branches and a short trunk resulted in a better outcome according to retrograde labeling and electrophysiological analysis.It can be concluded from the study that repairing a mixed nerve defect at its bifurcation point with Y-tube conduits,in particular those with long branches and a short trunk,is effective and results in good outcomes.

Double potentialities of tumoricide and hematopoiesis of human bone marrow cells activated by IL-2 and IL-3

The biomodulative and hematopoietic potentialities of IL-2 and IL-3 activatedbone marrow(ABM)cells from patients with lung adenocarcinoma were studied in vitro.Human bone marrow(BM)cells could be activated by IL-2 in culture for 7d.TheseIL-2 ABM cells had higher cytolytic activities against cells of H 7402 cell line and freshautologous adenocarcinoma cells and maintained the cytotoxicities longer than IL-2 acti-vated peripheral blood lymphocytes(APBLs),a point of possible importance in adoptiveimmunotherapy for cancer patients.The IL-2 ABM cells also had similar number ofBFU-E and CFU-GM to that had fresh BM cells if 1L-3 was added 48h alter IL-2 inculture.The IL-2 and IL-3 ABM cells might be used to eliminate tumor cells and tosupply reconstitutive elements of BM for autologous bone marrow transplantation.

Human papilloma virus 16 E6 oncoprotein associated with p53 inactivation in colorectal cancer

AIM:To investigate the association between human papilloma virus(HPV) infection and colorectal cancer.METHODS:Sixty-nine patients with pathologically confirmed primary colorectal cancer including 6 stage Ⅰ,24 stage Ⅱ,21 stage Ⅲ,and 18 stage Ⅳ patients were enrolled in this study to investigate whether HPV 16 could be involved in colorectal tumorigenesis.Nested-polymerase chain reaction(nested-PCR) was used to detect HPV16 DNA in colorectal tumor tissues and further confirmed by in situ hybridization(ISH).In addition,immunohistochemistry analysis was performed to examine the E6 oncoprotein in colorectal tumors.To verify whether E6 could inactivate the p53 transcriptional function,the levels of p21 and Mdm2 mRNA expression were evaluated by real-time reverse transcription(RT)-PCR.RESULTS:Of the 69 colorectal tumors,HPV16 DNA was detected in 11(16%) by nested-PCR,and HPV16 DNA was present in 8 of the 11(73%) tumors which was confirmed by ISH.The presence of HPV16 DNA in colorectal tumors was not associated with patients' clinical parameters including age,gender,smoking status,tumor site;however,HPV16 infection was more common in stage Ⅰ patients than in late-stages patients(Ⅱ,Ⅲ and Ⅳ).We next asked whether HPV16 infection could be linked with colorectal cancer development.Immunohistochemical data indicated that 8 of the 11 HPV16 DNA-positive tumors had E6 oncoprotein expression.Moreover,we also observed that the adjacent normal tissues including endothelial cells,lymphocytes,fibroblasts,and gland cells in E6-positive tumors had E6 oncoprotein expression.In addition,3 of the 4(75%) E6-positive tumors carrying p53 wild-type had negative immunostaining,but one tumor had less p53 immunostaining.We further examined whether E6-positive and/or p53 mutated tumors reduce p53 transcriptional activity.Real-time RT-PCR analysis indicated that p21 and mdm2 mRNA expression levels in E6/p53-wildtype tumors were significantly lower than in their adjacent normal tissues;as expected,E6-positive/p53-mutated tumors had lower p21 and mdm2 mRNA expression levels compared with their adjacent normal tissues.These results clearly indicate that the E6 oncoprotein expressed in p53 wildtype tumors may reduce p21 and mdm2 expression via p53 inactivation.CONCLUSION:These results suggest that HPV16 infection may be involved in a subset of colorectal cancer,and we suggest that the transmission of HPV to the colon and rectum might occur through peripheral blood lymphocytes.

Tumor Antigen Specific Activation of Primary Human T-Cells Expressing a Virally Encoded Chimeric T-Cell Receptor Specific for p185HER2

We have developed and tested chimeric T-cell receptors (TCR) specific for p185HER2. In these experiments, retroviral vectors expressing the N29γ or N29ζ receptors were constructed in pRET6. Amphotropic viral producer cells were established in the GALV-based PG13 packaging cell line. Ficoll purified human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) were virally transduced using an optimized protocol incorporating activation with immobilized anti-CD3/anti-CD28 monoclonal anti- bodies, followed by viral infection in the presence of fibronectin fragment CH296. Transduced cells were co-cultured with human tumor cell lines that overexpress (SK-OV-3) or underexpress (MCF7) p185HER2 to assay for antigen specific im- mune responses. Both CM+ and CD8+ T-cells transduced with the N29γ or N29ζ chTCR demonstrated HER2-specific anti- gen responses, as determined by release of Th1 like cytokines, and cellular cytotoxicity assays. Our results support the fea- sibility of adoptive immunotherapy with genetically modified T-cells expressing a chTCR specific for p185HER2.

Investigation on the Maternal-Infantile Infection with Human Parvovirus B19

To investigate the maternal-infantile infection with human parvovirus B19, the IgG and IgM antibodies against human parvovirus and the B19-DNA in serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of pregnant women as well as the serum IgM antibody against B19 and the B19-DNA in serum and cord blood nucleated cells (CBNC) of newborns were determined by ELISA and nested PCR respectively. It was found that the positive rate of the IgG antibody against human parvovirus B19 in sera of 92 pregnant women was 38.04% (35/92), and that of the IgM antibody in 720 pregnant women was 9.03% (65/720). However, the IgM antibody against human parvovirus B19 was negative in the cord blood sera of 95 newborns. As to the human parvovirus B19 DNA, none of 720 pregnant women and 95 newborns was proved to be positive in their sera. Nevertheless, the positive rate of the parvovirus B19 DNA in PBMC was 3.06% (3/98) in 98 pregnant women and 1.12% (1/89) in CBNC of 89 newborns. It is concluded that the history of infection with human parvovirus B19 exists in certain pregnant women with a small percentage of pregnant women infected with recent or acute infections of B19 virus. The detection rates of the B19 viral DNA in PBMC of pregnant women and CBNC of newborns were higher than those in sera, indicating that the risk for vertical transmission is very low.