Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of Marinobacterium weihaiense sp. nov. and Marinobacterium marinum sp. nov., isolated from marine sediment, and genomic properties of the genus Marinobacterium

In this study, two novel bacterial strains were isolated from coastal sediment of Weihai, China. The two strains were Gram-stain-negative and facultatively aerobic, designated 3-1745T and A346T. Based on phenotypic, genetic and phylogenetic properties, strains 3-1745T and A346T represent two novel species of the genus Marinobacterium. The results of genome analysis revealed many central carbohydrate metabolism pathways such as gluconeogenesis, pyruvate oxidation, tricyclic acid cycle, pentose phosphate pathway and PRPP biosynthesis in the genus Marinobacterium. The ability of strains 3-1745T and A346T to utilize volatile fatty acids was experimentally confirmed. Polyhydroxyalkanoate synthases (PhaA, PhaB and PhaC) for the synthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoates were prevalent in the genus Marinobacterium. Multiple BGCs (biosynthetic gene clusters) including betalactone, ectoine, ranthipeptide, redox-cofactor, RiPPs (ribosomally synthesized post-translationally modified peptides) and T3PKS (polyketide synthases) in the genome of the genus Marinobacterium were found. Additional genome analyses suggested that the genus Marinobacterium contained diverse potential mechanisms of salt tolerance and mainly utilized oligosaccharides. This is the first report on broad genomic analyses of the genus Marinobacterium with the description of two novel species and potential ecological and biotechnological implications.

Description of Aequorivita aurantiaca sp. nov. Isolated from Coastal Sediment, and Comparative Genomic Analysis and Biogeographic Distribution of the Genus Aequorivita

A novel Gram-stain-negative, facultatively anaerobic, and non-motile bacterial strain, designated SDUM287046T, was isolated from the coastal sediments of Jingzi Port of Weihai, China. Cells of strain SDUM287046T were rod-shaped with widths of 0.4-0.5 μm and lengths of 0.7-1.4 μm and could produce flexirubin-type pigments. Optimum growth of strain SDUM287046T occurred at 33-35 °C, pH 7.0, and with 2% (w/v) NaCl. Oxidase activity was negative, but catalase activity was positive. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that strain SDUM287046T was most closely related to Aequorivita aquimaris D-24T (98.3%). The main cellular fatty acids were iso-C15:0, anteiso-C15:0, iso-C17:0 3-OH, and summed feature 9 (comprised of iso-C17:1 ω9c and/or C16:0 10-methyl). The sole respiratory quinone was MK-6. The polar lipids consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), one aminolipid (AL), three unidentified glycolipids (GL), and three unidentified lipids (L). The DNA G + C content was 39.3 mol%. According to the integrated results of phylogenetic, physiological, biochemical, and chemotaxonomic characteristics, we propose that strain SDUM287046T represents a novel species of the genus Aequorivita, for which the name Aequorivita aurantiaca sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SDUM287046T (=KCTC 92754T = MCCC 1H01418T). Comparative genomic analysis showed that the 16 Aequorivita species shared 1453 core genes and differed mainly in amino acid metabolism, cofactor metabolism, and vitamin metabolism. Biogeographic distribution analysis indicated that the marine environments were the primary habitat of Aequorivita bacteria.

Impact renaming non-alcoholic fatty liver disease to metabolic associated fatty liver disease in prevalence, characteristics and risk factors

BACKGROUND

Recently, a group of hepatologists proposed to rename non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) as metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) with modified diagnostic criteria. It is important to note, however, that there are some differences between the diagnostic criteria used for NAFLD and MAFLD. Since the research on MAFLD is just beginning, however, evidence on its incidence and prevalence in the general population and in specific subpopulations remains limited.

AIM

To assess epidemiology of fatty liver in new definition and compare MAFLD with NAFLD. Exploring risk factors of MAFLD individuals.

METHODS

This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study. A total of 85242 adults were selected from the Chinese health management database in 2017-2022. The data of general information, laboratory indicators, lifestyle management and psychological status were obtained. MAFLD was diagnosed as ultrasound diagnosis of fatty liver and at least one between these three conditions: Overweight/obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or metabolic dysregulation. Metabolic factors were not considered in NAFLD diagnosis standard. The clinical characteristics of MAFLD and NAFLD were analysed using descriptive statistics. Continuous variables normally distributed were expressed as means ± SD. Categorical variables were expressed as frequencies and proportions. Binary logistic regression was used to determine risk factors of the MAFLD.

RESULTS

The prevalence of MAFLD and NAFLD was 40.5% and 31.0%, respectively. The MAFLD or NAFLD population is more likely to be older (M: 47.19 ± 10.82 vs 43.43 ± 11.96; N: 47.72 ± 11.17 vs 43.71 ± 11.66), male (M: 77.21% vs 44.43%; N: 67.90% vs 53.12%) and high body mass index (M: 26.79 ± 2.69 vs 22.44 ± 2.48; N: 26.29 ± 2.84 vs 23.29 ± 3.12) than the non-MAFLD or non-MAFLD population. In multivariate analysis, general information (e.g., ≥ 2 metabolic abnormalities OR = 3.38, (95%CI: 2.99-3.81), P < 0.001; diastolic blood pressure OR = 1.01, (95%CI: 1.00-1.01), P = 0.002), laboratory results [e.g.,total bilirubin (TBIL) OR = 0.98, (95%CI: 0.98-0.99), P < 0.001; serum uric acid(SUA) OR = 1.01, (95%CI: 1.01-1.01), P < 0.001], and lifestyle factors [e.g., drink beverage OR = 0.32, (95%CI: 0.17-0.63), P = 0.001] were influence factors for MAFLD. Our study results offer new insight into potential risk factors associated with fatty liver disease, including SUA, TBIL and creatinine, all of which are related to chronic renal disease (CKD).

CONCLUSION

MAFLD is more prevalent than NAFLD, with two-fifths of individuals meeting the diagnosis criteria. MAFLD and NAFLD populations have different clinical characteristics. CKD may be related with MAFLD.

[Advances in basic research on choline and central nervous system development and related disorders]

Choline is an essential nutrient that plays an integral role in all stages of the life cycle, with increasing interest in the relationship between choline and neurodevelopment. Choline is a major component in the synthesis of phospholipids, phosphatidylcholine and sphingolipids, and is an essential nutrient for methyl metabolism, acetylcholine synthesis and cell signaling. Choline plays an important role in neurogenesis and neural migration during fetal development, potentially influencing the development and prognosis of neurological disorders, but its mechanism of action is not yet clear. This article reviews the source and metabolism of choline, the effects and mechanism of choline on neurodevelopment and central nervous system related disorders.

[Research advances on the mechanism of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in body surface wound healing]

Wound healing is a slow and complex biological process, including inflammatory reaction, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, cell migration, angiogenesis, extracellular matrix deposition, tissue remodeling, and so on. Wnt signaling pathway can be divided into classical pathway and non-classical pathway. Wnt classical pathway, also known as Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, plays an important role in cell differentiation, cell migration, and maintenance of tissue homeostasis. Many inflammatory factors and growth factors are involved in the upstream regulation of this pathway. The activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays an important role in the occurrence, development, regeneration, repair and related treatment of skin wounds. This article review the relationship between Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and wound healing, meanwhile summarizes its effects on important processes of wound healing, such as inflammation, cell proliferation, angiogenesis, hair follicle regeneration, and skin fibrosis, as well as the role of inhibitors of Wnt signaling pathway in wound healing.

The effect of driving pressure-guided ventilation strategy on the patients with mechanical ventilation: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of driving pressure (DP) guided ventilation strategy on the patients with mechanical ventilation in the hospital.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The articles published in PubMed, the Cochrane Library, the China National Knowledge Information (CNKI), Wei Pu, Wan Fang database and Web of Science from inception to September 2021 were retrieved. The Q test and the I² statistic were used to assess statistical heterogeneity. Risks ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for mortality.

RESULTS

Seven studies (n=1,405 patients) were included. Five studies reported an adjusted Risk Ratio (RR) of mortality. Compared with the control group, the DP guided ventilation group was associated with a decreased mortality (RR 0.56; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.39-0.79; p=0.001; I2 = 23%) using a fixed-effects model without significant heterogeneity. The control group had significantly higher driving pressure level than DP guided group (MD -3.03, 95%CI, -5.72 - -0.34, I2=100%, p=0.03); PaO2/FiO2 was significantly higher in DP guided group than in control group (MD 43.37; 95%CI, 12.58-74.15; I2=97%, p=0.006). There was no statistically significant difference in respiratory compliance, complications, platform pressure, duration of mechanical ventilation and the length of hospital stay between the DP guided group and the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggested that the driving pressure guided ventilation strategy could decrease the mortality and increase oxygenation index (OI). However, further high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are needed to verify the impact of driving pressure on mechanically ventilated patients.

[Clinical research progress and implications of therapeutic vaccines for cervical cancer and precancerous lesions: a qualitative systematic review]

Objective: To systematically summarize and analyze the clinical research progress of therapeutic vaccines for cervical cancer or precancerous lesions. Methods: English databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane library, Proquest, and ClinicalTrails.gov) and Chinese databases (SinoMed, CNKI, WanFang, and VIP Database) were systematically searched to collect literature on therapeutic vaccines for cervical cancer or precancerous lesions from inception to February 18, 2021. After screening, we evaluated the risk of bias of included studies, and combed the basic information of the literature, research designs, information of vaccines, study patients, outcome indicators and so on, qualitatively summarized the clinical research progress. Results: A total of 71 studies were included in this systematic review, including 14 random controlled trials, 15 quasi-random controlled trials, 4 cohort studies, 1 case-control study, 34 case series studies and 3 case reports. The study patients included women aged 15~79 with cervical cancer or precancerous lesions in 18 countries from 1989 to 2021. On the one hand, there were 40 studies on therapeutic vaccines for cervical precancerous lesions (22 867 participants), involving 21 kinds of vaccines in 6 categories. Results showed 3 marketed vaccines (Cervarix, Gardasil, Gardasil 9) as adjuvant immunotherapies were significant effective in preventing the recurrence of precancerous lesions compared with the conization only. In addition, MVA E2 vaccine had been in phase Ⅲ clinical trials as a specific therapeutic vaccine, with relative literature showing it could eliminate most high-grade precancerous lesions. Therapeutic vaccines for precancerous lesions all showed good safety. On the other hand, there were 31 studies on therapeutic vaccines for cervical cancer (781 participants), involving 19 kinds of vaccines in 7categories, with none had been marketed. 25 studies were with no control group, showing the vaccines could effectively eliminate solid tumors, prevent recurrence, and prolong the median survival time. However, the vaccines effectiveness couldn't be statistically calculated due to the lack of a control group. As for the safety of therapeutic vaccines for cervical cancer, 9 studies showed that patients experienced serious adverse events after treatments, where 7 studies reported that serious adverse events occurred in patients couldn't be ruled out as the results of therapeutic vaccines. Conclusions: The literature review shows that the literature evidence for the therapeutic vaccines for cervical precancerous lesions is relatively mature compared with the therapeutic vaccines for cervical cancer. The four kinds of vaccines on the market are all therapeutic vaccines for precancerous lesions, but they are generally used as vaginal infection treatments or adjuvant immunotherapies for cervical precancerous lesions, not used for the specific treatments of cervical precancerous lesions. Other specific therapeutic vaccines are in the early stage of clinical trials, mainly phase Ⅰ/Ⅱ clinical trials with small sample size. The effectiveness and safety data are limited, and further research is still needed.

[Design and application of three-dimensional printing guide plate for oral and maxillofacial surgery]

Objective: To explore the application of three-dimensional (3D) printing technology in oral and maxillofacial surgery, so as to optimize and standardize its design and application. Methods: From January 2010 to December 2020, 40 cases of mandibular tumor surgery (20 cases of conventional group and 20 cases of guide plate group), 20 cases of temporomandibular joint replacement surgery (10 cases of conventional group and 10 cases of guide plate group), 20 cases of malocclusion surgery (10 cases of conventional group and 10 cases of guide plate group), 20 cases of radioactive particle implantation surgery (10 cases of CT guided group and 10 cases of guide plate group) were analyzed. All patients in the guide plate group were scanned with spiral CT, and the 3D models of the jaw and the donor bone area were reconstruction. According to the purpose of surgical guide, the design and clinical application of osteotomy guide, in place forming guide and puncture positioning guide were analyzed respectively. The design time of guide plate, the performance and printing time of guide material, the sterilization method of guide and its influence on accuracy, and the influence of guide application on operation time and accuracy were analyzed. Results: The design time of orthognathic guide plate was (2.9±1.8) d, and the design time of mandibular transplantation guide plate was (2.8±1.8) d, that of the temporomandibular joint replacement guide plate and the puncture guide plate was (2.2±0.3) and (0.9±0.3) d. The average printing time of the 40 maxilla model was (11.1±1.6) h, and that of the 40 mandible models was (2.6±0.4) h. The average printing time of the 40 sets of osteotomy and positioning guide plate was (2.5±0.8) h, and that of the 10 puncture positioning guide plate (1.1±0.4) h. The operation time of the conventional group was (6.99±1.10) and (6.02±0.55) h. In the CT guided group, the operation time was (1.91±0.55) h and (0.89±0.15). The operation time of mandible tumor operation and radioactive particle implantation in the guide plate group was less than that in the control group (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in the operation time of orthognathic surgery and joint replacement between the two groups (P>0.05). The displacement distance of the mark points in the TMJ replacement and mandibular tumor operation guide group was less than that in the control group (P<0.05), and the error of the guide plate in orthognathic operation and particle implantation operation was basically less than 1 mm. Conclusions: The application of the surgical guide plate made by 3D printing technology helps to complete the operation more safely, accurately and quickly, But its design, manufacture and disinfection still need to be further standardized and improved.

Decomposing CO2 emission changes in thermal power sector: A modified production-theoretical approach

Carbon emission from the thermal power generation sector is one of the main contributors to global warming. It is critical to objectively evaluate the influence of relevant factors on carbon emissions, which may be beneficial for the implementation of policies and the formulation of development plans. However, the current decomposition approach based on production-theoretical decomposition analysis (PDA) and weak disposability may cause deviation on potential emission reduction. This paper proposes a modified PDA model under the assumption of semi-disposability and decomposes the carbon emission changes of China's thermal power generation sector accordingly. The results show that provinces, which have the highest non-disposal degrees during the study period, are mostly located along the east coast of China. The growth in installed capacity is identified as the largest contributor to the increase in national carbon emissions, while the decrease in capacity utilization rate significantly benefits the carbon emission reduction. A cluster analysis is also conducted to give policy implications for provinces with similar characteristics. Compared with traditional methods under strong and weak disposability assumption, the proposed model shows great advantages in identifying the potential emission reduction and reflecting the real production process, which makes it more suitable for decomposing the changes of carbon emissions and other environmental pollutants.

[Clinicopathological analysis of anti-mitochondrial antibody negative primary biliary cholangitis-autoimmune hepatitis overlap syndrome]

Objective: To explore the clinicopathological features of anti-mitochondrial antibody (AMA) negative and positive patients with primary biliary cholangitis-autoimmune hepatitis overlap syndrome (PBC-AIH OS). Methods: Seventy-four cases diagnosed as PBC-AIH OS from June 2017 to April 2018 were enrolled in this study. Among them, forty cases were AMA negative (negative group) and thirty-four cases were AMA positive (positive group). The clinical manifestations, serum biochemical indexes, immunological indexes and histological data of the negative group were compared with the positive group. Mann-Whitney U test and theχ (2)test were used for statistical analysis. Results: There was no significant difference in sex, age, clinical manifestations and major liver function indexes (ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, TB, DB) between the negative group and positive group (P> 0.05). The level of IgM in the negative group (1.68 ± 0.87) was significantly lower than positive group (3.77 ± 2.88)(P< 0.05). The positive rates of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and gp-210 antibodies was lower than positive group (P< 0.05). There were no significant differences in the stages of inflammation and fibrosis between the two groups (P> 0.05), and the bile duct injury was more significant in the negative than positive group (P< 0.05). Conclusion: The serum IgM level of AMA-negative PBC-AIH OS is low, and immunological antibody is often negative, which makes bile duct injury apparent in liver histology. A liver biopsy should be carried out as soon as possible for early diagnosis and treatment.

Ketamine-induced ventricular structural, sympathetic and electrophysiological remodelling: pathological consequences and protective effects of metoprolol

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Growing evidence suggests that long-term abuse of ketamine does harm the heart and increases the risk of sudden death. The present study was performed to explore the cardiotoxicity of ketamine and the protective effects of metoprolol.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

Rats and rabbits were divided into control, ketamine, metoprolol alone and ketamine plus metoprolol groups. Ketamine (40 mg·kg(-1) ·day(-1), i.p.) and metoprolol (20 mg·kg(-1) ·day(-1), p.o.) were administered continuously for 12 weeks in rats and 8 weeks in rabbits. Cardiac function, electrophysiological disturbances, cardiac collagen, cardiomyocte apoptosis and the remodelling-related proteins were evaluated.

KEY RESULTS

Rabbits treated with ketamine showed decreased left ventricular ejection fraction, slowed ventricular conduction velocity and increased susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmia. Metoprolol prevented these pathophysiological alterations. In ketamine-treated rats, cardiac collagen volume fraction and apoptotic cell number were higher than those of control animals; these effects were prevented by co-administration of metoprolol. Consistently, the expressions of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerases-1, apoptosis-inducing factor and NF-κB-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells were all increased after ketamine treatment and sharply reduced after metoprolol administration. Moreover, ketamine enhanced sympathetic sprouting, manifested as increased growth-associated protein 43 and tyrosine TH expression. These effects of ketamine were prevented by metoprolol.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Chronic treatment with ketamine caused significant ventricular myocardial apoptosis, fibrosis and sympathetic sprouting, which altered the electrophysiological properties of the heart and increased its susceptibility to malignant arrhythmia that may lead to sudden cardiac death. Metoprolol prevented the cardiotoxicity of ketamine, indicating a promising new therapeutic strategy.

[Effects of nitroprusside and vibration on peritoneal transport of solutes in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients]

To explore the relationship between peritoneal transport of solutes and permeability of the peritoneum capillary as well as peritoneal stagnant fluid layer within dwell time, we observed the effects of nitroprusside and vibration on peritoneal transport of solutes in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis(CAPD) patients. Twelve stable, routine CAPD patients were involved, who had no peritonitis for at least 4 weeks before the test. Standard peritoneal equilibrium tests(PETs) were performed, and mass transfer area coefficiency(MTAC) were calculated after adding nitroprusside to the dialysate or vibrating the patients's peritoneum. The concentrations of total protein, albumin and immunity globulin G in total drained dialysate were examined, and total drained volumes were recorded. Compared with the control, the MTACs value of BUN, Creatinine(Cr) increased significantly both in the nitroprusside group and vibration group(P < 0.05); the concentration of immunoglobin G in the total drained fluid was higher in the nitroprusside group than that in the control(P < 0.05); However, there was no significant difference in the total drained volume among the three groups. We conclude that nitroprusside and vibration can increase the peritoneal transport of small molecular solutes, and vibration has less influence on the loss of protein in CAPD. It suggests that moderated movement may improve the removal of the small molecules in CAPD patients.

A humanized, bispecific immunoadhesin-antibody that retargets CD3+ effectors to kill HIV-1-infected cells

We have developed a humanized, bispecific immunoadhesin-antibody (BsIAb) that targets and kills HIV-infected cells. Comprised of CD4-IgG and humanized anti-CD3-IgG, this BsIAb is bifunctional. First, in targeting, it exploits the natural affinity of CD4 for gp120 to target the BsIAb to HIV-infected cells, and second, it recruits and activates, through its anti-CD3 moiety, cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) to lyse target cells in a non-MHC restricted manner. To produce purified BsIAb from supernantants of transfected mammalian cells, we designed a three-step recovery scheme based on the structural elements of this heterotrimeric protein. The ability of purified BsIAb to specifically lyse HIV-infected target cells was demonstrated using CTL from two different sources: whole peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) fractions and pure CTL preparations. In contrast, a human anti-gp120 antibody mediated lysis of HIV-infected target cells only with PBL fractions and not with purified CTL. Moreover, lysis observed in the presence of the human anti-gp120 antibody was completely blocked in the presence of human serum (which competes for Fc gamma receptor binding), whereas BsIAb-mediated lysis of target cells was not affected. We measured the monovalent affinities of BsIAb for HIV-gp120 on infected cells and for CD3 epsilon on CTL. Relative to the bivalent parent molecules, CD4/gp120 affinity in the BsIAb is unchanged, whereas anti-CD3/CD3 is substantially decreased. We further demonstrated by fluorescence microscopy that physical association of CD3+ cells with gp120-expressing cells occurs only in the presence of BsIAb. Thus, the cytocidal activity of BsIAb in the presence of serum reflects its unique ability to recruit CTL as effector cells and highlights a potentially important advantage of this type of construct over antibodies for HIV-directed therapy.

A humanized, bispecific immunoadhesin-antibody that retargets CD3+ effectors to kill HIV-1-infected cells

HIV infection depletes the immune system of the coordinating functions of CD4+ T cells and APCs, whereas the population of CD8+ CTLs remains largely intact: functional but undirected. We have developed a humanized bispecific immunoadhesin-antibody (BIA) that redirects these remaining T cells to kill HIV-infected cells. This BIA expresses effector cell retargeting via a targeting activity that exploits the natural affinity of CD4 for gp120, and a recruiting activity that employs an anti-CD3 moiety to engage CTLs. The resultant molecule is 97% human in origin. In functional tests, this BIA mediated killing of HIV-infected cells using either pure CTL preparations, or whole PBL fractions that additionally include Fc gamma receptor-bearing large granular lymphocyte effectors. In contrast, a human anti-gp120 Ab induced target lysis via Ab-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) only with large granular lymphocyte-containing fractions and not with CTLs. ADCC with this Ab was blocked in human serum, whereas BIA-mediated effector cell retargeting lysis of HIV-infected cells by CTLs was preserved. The affinity of the BIA for HIV-gp120 on infected cells and for CD3 epsilon on CTLs was derived in a flow cytometric Scatchard procedure. Relative to the bivalent parent molecules, CD4/gp120 affinity on cells was unchanged in the BIA (Ka 7 x 10(7) M-1), whereas the anti-CD3 affinity was diminished 50-fold (Ka 2 x 10(6) M-1 vs 1 x 10(8) M-1). Physical association of CD3+ effectors and gp120-expressing targets was confirmed by fluorescence microscopy and was dependent upon the presence of BIA and expression of target gp120. The unimpaired cytocidal activity of the BIA in the presence of serum highlights a potentially important advantage of this type of construct over native Abs for HIV-directed therapy.

A humanized, bispecific immunoadhesin-antibody that retargets CD3+ effectors to kill HIV-1-infected cells

HIV infection depletes the immune system of the coordinating functions of CD4+ T cells and APCs, whereas the population of CD8+ CTLs remains largely intact: functional but undirected. We have developed a humanized bispecific immunoadhesin-antibody (BIA) that redirects these remaining T cells to kill HIV-infected cells. This BIA expresses effector cell retargeting via a targeting activity that exploits the natural affinity of CD4 for gp120, and a recruiting activity that employs an anti-CD3 moiety to engage CTLs. The resultant molecule is 97% human in origin. In functional tests, this BIA mediated killing of HIV-infected cells using either pure CTL preparations, or whole PBL fractions that additionally include Fc gamma receptor-bearing large granular lymphocyte effectors. In contrast, a human anti-gp120 Ab induced target lysis via Ab-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) only with large granular lymphocyte-containing fractions and not with CTLs. ADCC with this Ab was blocked in human serum, whereas BIA-mediated effector cell retargeting lysis of HIV-infected cells by CTLs was preserved. The affinity of the BIA for HIV-gp120 on infected cells and for CD3 epsilon on CTLs was derived in a flow cytometric Scatchard procedure. Relative to the bivalent parent molecules, CD4/gp120 affinity on cells was unchanged in the BIA (Ka 7 x 10(7) M-1), whereas the anti-CD3 affinity was diminished 50-fold (Ka 2 x 10(6) M-1 vs 1 x 10(8) M-1). Physical association of CD3+ effectors and gp120-expressing targets was confirmed by fluorescence microscopy and was dependent upon the presence of BIA and expression of target gp120. The unimpaired cytocidal activity of the BIA in the presence of serum highlights a potentially important advantage of this type of construct over native Abs for HIV-directed therapy.

[Analysis of complication following blepharoptosis operation]

The complications following various operative procedures of blepharoptosis are analysed in 60 cases, including 85 eyes, treated in Hangzhou Plastic Surgery Hospital since 1984. The reasons underlying the complications are discussed. Some of the complications are avoidable, and measures which can be taken to prevent or correct them are illustrated. Some others are intrinsically related to the degree of severity of the ptosis and are bound to occur after the elected operative methods. They are therefore, inevitable, hence can not be corrected. The authors emphasizes that this fact should be explained to the patients before operations, in order to obtain their understanding and cooperation.

A new approach to the treatment of malignant effusion

Lymphocytes isolated from malignant effusion were induced to become LAK cells after in vitro culture with rIL-2. 28 patients with malignant effusion were treated by i.p. or intrapleural administration of autologous LAK cells combined with rIL-2 or by rIL-2 alone. The effusion disappeared in 13 patients and significantly decreased in another 13. Two patients did not respond to the treatment. Tumor cells in effusion disappeared or significantly decreased and lymphocytes significantly increased in all responses. Except for transient fever in 9 patients, no serious side effects were found.