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A multi-attribute group decision-making (MAGDM) method based on intuitionistic fuzzy preference information is proposed for the multi-attribute intuitionistic fuzzy group decision-making problem where the decision-makers weight and attribute weight are completely unknown and the decision-maker has preference information for the scheme. Firstly, an intuitionistic fuzzy interval judgment matrix is established to describe the original data of the key decision indicators for multiple network public opinion emergencies that erupt simultaneously. Secondly, the attribute weights are determined based on the improved intuitionistic fuzzy entropy construction method, and the expert weights are determined by using objective decision information, taking into account the intuitionistic fuzzy entropy of decision matrix. MAGDM can not only synthesize experts' professional experience in different aspects, but also avoid experts' decision-making errors caused by insufficient domain knowledge. It is necessary to continuously adjust the expert weight based on decision-making information to make the comprehensive decision-making information more accurate. Thirdly, a scheme preference model and an attribute weight optimization model are established to determine the ranking method of intuitionistic fuzzy interval values. Then, a modified distance measure of intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFSs) is introduced to make the evaluation result more accurate and reasonable when it comes to solving the deviation between the evaluation value and ideal solution of each scheme. Finally, the effectiveness and practicability of the proposed decision-making method are verified by an example of emergency crisis severity, It assists decision makers in selecting and implementing the optimal emergency response plan in a timely and efficient manner, which improves the emergency treatment efficiency of network public opinion crisis, helps emergency departments to better deal with the network public opinion crisis, improves the ability of public opinion guidance and control, and provides a new method and idea for multi-attribute intuitionistic fuzzy group decision-making problem.

Immunotherapeutic agents have demonstrated encouraging signs of clinical utility in non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The goal of this study is to analyze the immune characteristics of Chinese patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) to inform the development of immunotherapies in this patient population. Tumor samples from 211 DLBCL patients were analyzed for cell of origin (COO) and immune characteristics using the NanoString platform as well as MYC protein expression through immunohistochemistry. Lower incidence of the germinal center B-cell (GCB) subtype (93/211, 44.1%) was observed in this cohort. Compared to the GCB subtype, the activated B-cell (ABC) subtype was associated with significantly increased expression of multiple pro-inflammatory gene signatures and decreased expression of anti-inflammatory gene signatures. Instead of affecting the pro-inflammatory genes, MYC protein overexpression showed a negative correlation with the expression of T-cell receptor (TCR) and T regulatory genes as well as the OX40 gene. Regardless of COO, higher PD-L1 or IDO1 gene expression correlated with increased expression of T effector and Interferon-γ gene signatures while the expression of multiple oncogenes including ACTR3B, ERBB2, AKT2 and SMARCD1 was down-regulated. Our findings may thus be helpful in guiding further development of immunotherapies for the different subsets of Chinese DLBCL patients., Highlights • The ABC subtype has higher pro-inflammatory gene expression than the GCB subtype. • MYC protein expression correlates with lower TCR and T regulatory gene expression. • Higher PD-L1 or IDO1 gene expression indicates more inflammatory phenotypes. The revolutionary efficacy of immunotherapies in some solid tumors has prompted much enthusiasm for applying such treatments in lymphomas including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). To help inform and guide the drug development efforts in this field, it is important to gain a deep understanding of immune characteristics of DLBCL patients. Currently such data are lacking, especially in Chinese patients. NanoString is a high-throughput, easy-to-use platform that allows accurate quantification of the mRNA expression of hundreds of genes simultaneously. In addition, there is a commercialized DLBCL subtying assay, Lymph2Cx, available on this platform. Therefore, we used mainly the NanoString platform to analyze tumor samples from 211 Chinese DLBCL patients to understand their immune characteristics.

A large number of viruses can individually and concurrently cause various respiratory illnesses. Metagenomic sequencing using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology is capable of identifying a variety of pathogens. Here, we describe a method using a large panel of oligo probes to enrich sequence targets of 34 respiratory DNA and RNA viruses that reduces non-viral reads in NGS data and achieves high performance of sequencing-based pathogen identification. The approach can be applied to total nucleic acids purified from respiratory swabs stored in viral transport medium. Illumina TruSeq RNA Access Library procedure is used in targeted sequencing of respiratory viruses. The samples are subjected to RNA fragmentation, random reverse transcription, random PCR amplification, and ligation with barcoded library adaptors. The libraries are pooled and subjected to two rounds of enrichments by using a large panel of oligos designed to capture whole genomes of 34 respiratory viruses. The enriched libraries are amplified and sequenced using Illumina MiSeq sequencing system and reagents. This method can achieve viral detection sensitivity comparable with molecular assay and obtain partial to complete genome sequences for each virus to allow accurate genotyping and variant analysis. Electronic supplementary material: The online version of this chapter (10.1007/978-1-4939-8682-8_10) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The goal of this study is to evaluate PD-L1 prevalence and its association with major clinical characteristics in Chinese non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients to inform the clinical development of anti-PD1/PD-L1 agents in this population. We used phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) expression through IHC as a surrogate tissue quality marker to screen surgical NSCLC samples in tissue microarray (TMA; 172 cases) or whole-section (268 cases) format. The samples were then analyzed with a clinically validated PD-L1 IHC assay. The results were correlated with baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes. PTEN IHC showed that 108 TMA samples and 105 whole-section samples qualified for PD-L1 IHC. With a clinically relevant cutoff, 41.7% of the TMA samples were PD-L1 positive. PD-L1 level was much lower in EGFR-mutant patients and seemed to be a favorable prognostic factor for both overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). These findings were confirmed in the whole-section samples except that their survival data were not mature enough for correlation analysis. In summary, PD-L1 expression was detected in approximately 40% of PTEN-qualified Chinese NSCLC samples, negatively correlated with EGFR mutation and seemed to be a favorable prognostic factor for both OS and RFS. Notably, the different results from PTEN-qualified and PTEN-disqualified samples underscore the importance of tissue quality control prior to biomarker testing.

Plasma medicine is emerging as a novel therapeutic field. It has been reported that plasma can kill bacteria, promote wound healing and induce apoptosis of tumor cells. However, the effects of plasma on immune cells and immune related skin diseases have not been well studied. In this study, we demonstrated that non-thermal atmospheric plasma (NTP) treatment can inhibit psoriasis-like skin inflammation in mice. Psoriasis-like skin inflammation was induced through application of imiquimod for 5 days and NTP was treated on days 3 and 4. On day 5 mice were sacrificed for analysis. NTP treatment in imiquimod-applied mouse skin inhibited increases in epithelial cell thickness compared to imiquimod-applied mouse skin without NTP treatment and suppressed immune cell infiltration in the mouse skins. The expression of cytokines and chemokines and NF-κB activation in the skin were also suppressed by the NTP treatment. In addition, differentiation of Th17 cells, an important cell type for the pathogenesis of psoriasis, was inhibited in the NTP-treated mouse lymph nodes. It was also demonstrated that liquid type plasma (LTP), which is also known as indirect plasma, inhibited Th17 cell differentiation in vitro. Other in vitro experiments showed that LTP inhibits bone marrow-derived dendritic cell (BMDC) activation, and inflammation of HaCaT cells. Interestingly, LTP enhanced PD-L1 expression in BMDC and HaCaT cells, suggesting that NTP may inhibit unwanted over-activation of T cells through increased PD-L1 expression in dendritic cells or epithelial cells. Taken together, these results suggest that NTP can be used to treat CD4+ T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis.

Rationale: Giant cell tumor (GCT) is a locally aggressive bone tumor with a high recurrence rate if not completely excised. And reconstructive hip surgery using an artificial prosthesis in a young active patient is controversial because of problems related to the durability of the artificial joint. Patient concerns: A 30-year-old man presented with right hip pain and other more severe symptoms, but without fever or night sweats. After 4 months, he experienced intense pain at the root of the right leg and limitation of motion after falling from a bicycle. Diagnoses: Giant cell tumor. Interventions: The patient was treated with surgical resection of the total tumor, and hemiarthroplasty of the hip joint using a custom-made titanium femoral prosthesis. Outcomes: The patient could perform activities of daily living, even walking long distance without pain. He continued to work as a teacher for 30 years and retired 11 years after the surgery. Lessons: A well-designed, custom-fitted, single-component, wear-resistant joint prosthesis should be the brand-new direction of development of artificial joints.

To detect platelet anti-HPA-1a and -1b antibodies using recombinant GPIIIa fragments coupled to Luminex beads.The sensitivity of 2 techniques, monoclonal antibody specific immobilization of platelet antigen (MAIPA) and Luminex bead assay, was compared using 12 twofold-serial dilutions (from neat to 1 in 2048) of an anti-HPA-1a WHO international standard. The specificity of Luminex assay to identify anti-HPA-1a and -1b antibodies was assessed using 8 negative or positive controls and 36 blinded samples provided by WHO Platelet Workshop.The sensitivity of MAIPA and Luminex bead assay to detect anti-HPA-1a was dilution 1/64 (i.e. 1.56 IU/ml) and far more than dilution 1/2048 (i.e. 0.049 IU/mL), respectively. The Luminex bead assay could specifically identify negative and positive controls of anti-HPA-1a and -1b. All results of 36 blinded samples by Luminex assay were accordant to reference results except one sample which contained high concentration antithetical antibody and resulted in false positive of anti-HPA-1b. Cross-reactivity was also not observed with the samples containing HLA, ABO or other platelet antibodies.The Luminex beads coupled with recombinant GPIIIa fragments can be used to detect HPA-1 system antibodies with sufficient sensitivity and specificity, that is suitable for the detection of platelet alloantibodies in clinical alloimmune thrombocytopenia.

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) differentiation is regulated by the extracellular matrix (ECM) through activation of intracellular signaling mediators. The stiffness of the ECM was shown to be an important regulatory factor for MSC differentiation, and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) was identified as an effector protein for MSC differentiation. However, the detailed underlying mechanism regarding the role of ECM stiffness and TAZ in MSC differentiation is not yet fully understood. In this report, we showed that ECM stiffness regulates MSC fate through ERK or JNK activation. Specifically, a stiff hydrogel matrix stimulates osteogenic differentiation concomitant with increased nuclear localization of TAZ, but inhibits adipogenic differentiation. ERK and JNK activity was significantly increased in cells cultured on a stiff hydrogel. TAZ activation was induced by ERK or JNK activation on a stiff hydrogel because exposure to an ERK or JNK inhibitor significantly decreased the nuclear localization of TAZ, indicating that ECM stiffness-induced ERK or JNK activation is important for TAZ-driven osteogenic differentiation. Taken together, these results suggest that ECM stiffness regulates MSC differentiation through ERK or JNK activation.

Tissue destruction, resulting in emphysema, can be a consequence of several pathologic processes. The current study evaluated the effects of the phosphodiesterase (PDE)4 inhibitor, cilomilast, and other PDE inhibitors on the ability of fibroblasts to degrade extracellular matrix. Using the three-dimensional collagen gel culture system, fibroblasts (HFL-1) were cultured with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, known to induce matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) release, and/or neutrophil elastase (NE), which can induce MMP activation. On Day 4, gels containing TNF-alpha and NE were significantly degraded (20.8 +/- 2.9% of original collagen content). Cilomilast (10 micro M) inhibited this degradation (84.4 +/- 8.4%). Amrinone, a PDE3 inhibitor, and zaprinast, a PDE5 inhibitor, had no effect. Gelatin zymography and immunoblotting revealed that fibroblasts cultured with TNF-alpha released increased amounts of latent MMP-1 and -9. The addition of NE resulted in the conversion of MMP-1 and -9 to their active forms, indicative of collagen degradation. Cilomilast inhibited the release of MMP-1 and -9, as well as conversion of MMP-1 to its active form. Using real-time PCR analysis, cilomilast's effect on MMP-1 release was not associated with the proteinase's mRNA expression, suggesting that the inhibition of release is regulated at the post-transcriptional level. These results suggest that cilomilast may be a potentially effective therapeutic agent in diseases characterized by excessive tissue destruction, such as emphysema.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relatively frequencies of alleles in the HLA-C*04:01:01G group and to analyze their relations with HLA-A and -B loci. DNA samples previously typed as HLA-C*04:01:01G were sequentially selected. The sequences for exon 2 to 7 of the HLA-C locus were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction sequence-based typing(PCR-SBT). The HLA-A, -B, -DRB1 and -DQB1 loci were genotyped using PCR-SBT method. The results showed that 178 samples (94.2%) and 11 samples (5.8%) were assigned as HLA-C*04:01:01 and HLA-C*04:82 respectively among 189 samples previously typed as HLA-C*04:01:01G. 72 haplotypes associated with HLA-C*04:01:01 and C*04:82 were found, in which the frequencies of 26 haplotypes were over 0.0050. HLA-C*04:01:01 was strongly related with A*02:03, A*02:07, A*11:01, A*33:03, B*13:01, B*15:01, B*15:05, B*15:27, B*40:01, B*54:01 alleles, while HLA-C*04:82 was related with B*40:01. It is concluded that HLA-C*04:01:01 and HLA-C*04:82 alleles were confirmed in the HLA-C*04:01:01G group, which should be discriminated by the routine HLA genotyping.

Microglial cells have important roles in maintaining brain homeostasis, and they are implicated in multiple brain diseases. There is currently interest in investigating microglial migration that results in cell accumulation at focal sites of injury. Here we describe a protocol for rapidly triggering and monitoring microglial migration by using a micropipette assay. This protocol is an adaptation of the axon turning assay using microglial cells. Chemoattractants released from the micropipette tip produce a chemotactic gradient that induces robust microglial migration. In combination with microscopic imaging, this assay allows simultaneous recording of cell movement and subcellular compartment trafficking, along with quantitative analysis. The actual handling time for the assay takes ∼2-3 h in total. The protocol is simple, inexpensive and convenient to set up, and it can be adopted to examine cell migration in multiple cell types, including cancer cells with a wide range of chemical signals.

Shear stress activates cellular signaling involved in cellular proliferation, differentiation, and migration. However, the mechanisms of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) differentiation under interstitial flow are not fully understood. Here, we show the increased osteogenic differentiation of MSCs under exposure to constant, extremely low shear stress created by osmotic pressure-induced flow in a microfluidic chip. The interstitial level of shear stress in the proposed microfluidic system stimulated nuclear localization of TAZ (transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif), a transcriptional modulator of MSCs, activated TAZ target genes such as CTGF and Cyr61, and induced osteogenic differentiation. TAZ-depleted cells showed defects in shear stress-induced osteogenic differentiation. In shear stress induced cellular signaling, Rho signaling pathway was important forthe nuclear localization of TAZ. Taken together, these results suggest that TAZ is an important mediator of interstitial flow-driven shear stress signaling in osteoblast differentiation of MSCs.

The individual with the deficiency of CD36 antigen on platelet displayed the risk of anti-CD36 immune reaction induced by transfusion, which is one of the reasons for platelet transfusion refractoriness (PTR). This study was purposed to detect the expression level of CD36 antigen on platelet by flow cytometry among apheresis platelet donors of Hangzhou area, and the frequency of CD36 deficiency was analyzed. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was separated from fresh anticoagulant whole blood by centrifugation, then the platelets were washed and adjusted to 1×10(6). The platelets were incubated with FITC-labeled CD36 and PE-labeled CD41 monoclonal antibodies, then the expression level of CD36 was detected by flow cytometry. The CD36 expression on monocytes for the samples of CD36-deficiency on the platelets was further analyzed. The results showed that 7 samples with CD36 antigen deficiency were found in 192 apheresis platelet donors. The frequency of CD36 deficiency was 3.6% and all of them were typeII deficiency. The significant difference of CD36 antigen expression was observed in the platelet donors of Hangzhou population, among them 59 individuals with low expressed CD36 antigen and 126 individuals with highly expressed CD36 antigen were found according to the geometric mean fluorescence intensity. It is concluded that the CD36 antigen deficient phenotype existed in the population, these data will provide the information for research of the CD36 antigen distribution and help to solve the platelet transfusion refractoriness.

The fact that advanced NSCLC patients with wild type (wt) EGFR can benefit from erlotinib therapy makes it critical to find out biomarkers for effective selection of patients and improving the therapy effects. In present study, 3 NSCLC cell lines (U1752, Calu-6 and NCI-H292) with wt EGFR and different sensitivities to erlotinib were used for microarray analysis. The differential basal gene expression between 2 NSCLC cell lines was analyzed, about 353 genes were expression-altered with higher than 2-fold changes between Calu-6 and U1752. And Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) showed that these genes were mainly enriched in regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway, Wnt-β catenin signaling, Tec kinase signaling and some types of cancer-related signaling. More interestingly, RAF1 (c-raf), MAP2K1 (MEK1), SNAI and downstream signaling molecules ERK and AKT were predicted to be activated in erlotinib-resistant cell line by IPA. Subsequent immunoblotting experiments showed that the phosphorylation of ERK and AKT were exactly increased stepwise from erlotinib sensitive cell line to erlotinib resistant cell lines. Collectively, activation of RAF1-MEK1-ERK/AKT axis may determine the resistance of NSCLC cell lines bearing wt EGFR to erlotinib. Our work provides potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for NSCLC patients harboring wt EGFR.

Inspired by theories of higher local order autocorrelation (HLAC), this paper presents a simple, novel, yet very powerful approach for wood recognition. The method is suitable for wood database applications, which are of great importance in wood related industries and administrations. At the feature extraction stage, a set of features is extracted from Mask Matching Image (MMI). The MMI features preserve the mask matching information gathered from the HLAC methods. The texture information in the image can then be accurately extracted from the statistical and geometrical features. In particular, richer information and enhanced discriminative power is achieved through the length histogram, a new histogram that embodies the width and height histograms. The performance of the proposed approach is compared to the state-of-the-art HLAC approaches using the wood stereogram dataset ZAFU WS 24. By conducting extensive experiments on ZAFU WS 24, we show that our approach significantly improves the classification accuracy.

To explore the molecular basis of an individual featuring an ABx variant of ABO blood group system.Serological assays were used to characterize the erythrocyte phenotypes and salivary ABH secretors. All of the seven exons and flanking introns of ABO glycosyltransferase gene were amplified with polymerase chain reaction (PCR). And the products were sequenced bidirectionally following enzyme digestion. Exons 6 and 7 were also subcloned and analyzed for haplotypes of the ABO gene.Erythrocytes of the proband have expressed a strong A antigen and a weak B antigen, which was identified as a rare ABx variant in addition with other serological features. Nine heterozygous sites in exon 6 (297A/G) and exon 7 (467C/T, 526C/G, 657C/T, 703G/A, 796C/A, 803G/C, 808T/A, 930G/A) of the coding region of the ABO gene were identified. Based on haplotype analysis, one allele was determined as common A102, whilst another was consistent with B101 except for an 808TA mutation which has resulted in replacement of phenylalanine with isoleucine at position 270 of glycosyltransferase B.The 808TA mutation of the glycosyltransferase B gene may decrease the enzymatic activity and result in the Bx variant.

This study was aimed to establish the real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) with erythrocyte Kidd blood group gene for detecting the hematopoietic chimera and to investigate the feasibility of this method. The TaqMan MGB probes and special primers were designed on basis of difference of erythrocyte Kidd blood group alleles, the hematopoietic chimerism was detected by RT-qPCR, the DNA chimerism was simulated by means of dilution of multiple proportions, and the sensitivity analysis was performed. The results showed that the RT-qPCR with erythrocyte Kidd blood group gene could effectively distinguish JK*A and JK*B alleles. There was no significant difference between the theoretic value and the practical measured value by this method (P0.05). As 156 donor's cells could be discriminated from 10(4) chimeric cells, this method may effectively detect donor's cells with correlation coefficient 0.998. It is concluded that the established RT-qPCR with erythrocyte Kidd blood group gene shows the feasibility for quantitative detection of hematopoietic chimera, and may be used to quantitatively detect chimera in a certain range.

This study was aimed to investigate the distribution of rare blood group in Zhejiang Han population. The H(-) (H system), GPA(-) and s(-) (MNS), Rhnull, Rhmod, D--, CCDEE, CCdEE (variations of Rh), GPC(-) (Gerbich), i(+) (I), Lu(b-) (Lutheran), Js(b-) and k(-) (Kell), Fy(a-) (Duffy), Ok(a-) (Ok), Di(b-) (Diego) phenotypes were screened by serological or molecular methods. Jk (a-b-) phenotype was detected by urea hemolytic test. The results showed that one Di (a+b-) individual was found in 1618 blood donors, three Fy (a-b+) individuals in 1007 donors and one CCdEE individual in 633 Rh negative donors. No Jk (a-b-), H(-), GPA(-), s(-), GPC(-), i(+) (adult), Lu(b-), k(-), Js(b-), Lu(b-) and Ok(a-) phenotypes were found in this large scale survey. It is concluded that Di (a+b-), Fy (a-b+), CCdEE phenotypes are confirmed in the blood donors and this study provides the distribution data of erythrocyte rare blood group in Zhejiang Han population.

This study was aimed to discriminate the alleles in the HLA-C*07:01:01G and HLA-C*07:02:01G groups and analyze their associations with HLA-B locus. Samples previously typed as HLA-C*07:01:01G and HLA-C*07:02:01G were collected. The nucleotide sequences in exons 1 to 7 of the HLA-C locus were sequenced by polymerase chain reaction sequence-based typing (PCR-SBT) and HLA-B genotyping was also preformed by PCR-SBT in these samples. The results showed that 4 samples (30.8%) were confirmed as HLA-C*07:01:01 and 9 samples (69.2%) were HLA-C*07:06 among 13 samples previously typed as HLA-C*07:01:01G. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis showed that HLA-C*07:06 allele was strongly related with HLA-B*44:03. All samples were typed as C*07:02:01 among 102 individuals previously typed as C*07:02:01G. LD analysis showed that C*07:02:01 was strongly related with HLA-B*51:01, B*46:01, B*39:01, B*40:01, B*38:02, B*15:02 alleles. It is concluded that HLA-C*07:01:01 and HLA-C*07:06 alleles are confirmed in the HLA-C*07:01:01G group and HLA-C*07:02:01 is a preferred allele in the HLA-C*07:02:01G.

To discriminate and analyze the relative frequencies of alleles in HLA-DRB1*12:01:01G(HLA-DRB1*12:01:01/12:06/12:10/12:17) and HLA-DRB1*14:01:01G (DRB1*14:01:01/14:54) groups and assess their associations with HLA-DRB3 and HLA-DQB1 loci.A total of 115 DNA samples previously typed as HLA-DRB1*12:01:01G and 108 samples from HLA-DRB1*14:01:01G were selected. DNA sequences for exons 1 to 3 of the HLA-DRB1 locus were analyzed for HLA-DRB1*12:01:01G, and exons 2 to 3 were analyzed for HLA-DRB1*14:01:01G by polymerase chain reaction sequence-based typing (PCR-SBT). Genotyping of HLA-DRB3 and HLA-DQB1 were achieved by PCR-SBT.Among 115 samples previously typed as HLA-DRB1*12:01:01G, 101 (87.8%) were confirmed as HLA-DRB1*12:01:01 and 14 (12.2%) were HLA-DRB1*12:10, but HLA-DRB1*12:06 and HLA-DRB1*12:17 alleles were not identified. For 108 samples previously typed as HLA-DRB1*14:01:01G, all were typed as HLA-DRB1*14:54. HLA-DRB1*12:01:01 was linked with HLA-DRB3*01:01:02 and HLA-DQB1*03:01, while HLA-DRB1*12:10 was strongly linked with HLA-DRB3*02:02:01 and HLA-DQB1*03:01. HLA-DRB1*14:54 was strongly linked with HLA-DRB3*02:02:01 and two different HLA-DQB1*05:02, *05:03 alleles.HLA-DRB1*12:01:01 was more prevalent than HLA-DRB1*12:10 in the HLA-DRB1*12:01:01G group, and HLA-DRB1*14:54 was the dominant allele for HLA-DRB1*14:01:01G.

To analyze the molecular basis for an individual with ABx09 phenotype of ABO subtype.The ABO group antigens on red blood cells of the proband were identified by monoclonal antibodies, and the ABO antibody in serum was detected by standard A, B, O cells. The exons 1 to 7 of ABO gene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) respectively and the PCR products were sequenced directly. The amplified products for exons 5 to 7 were also cloned by TOPO TA cloning sequencing kit to split the two alleles apart, selected colonies were sequenced bidirectionally for exons 5 to 7 of the ABO gene. The samples of the proband's parents were collected, then serological test of the blood group and sequence analysis for exons 6 and 7 of ABO gene were preformed.Both A and B antigens were detected on red blood cells of the proband and there was anti-B antibody in the serum. There was no G deletion at position 261, while 297AG in exon 6, 467CT, 526CG, 657CT, 703GA, 796CA, 803GC, 889GA and 930GA heterozygote in exon 7 were detected by direct DNA sequencing, which can be assigned for A102Bx09 genotype. After cloning and sequencing, two alleles A102 and Bx09 were obtained. The sequence of Bx09 had one nucleotide changes (G to A) at position 889 compared with that of B101, which resulted in an amino acid change of Glu to Lys at 297 position. The Bx09 in the proband was inherited from her mother by family investigation.G to A at nt889 of alpha-1,3 galactosyltransferasegene can result in Bx09 phenotype, with the presence of anti-B antibody in serum.

To elucidate the serological characteristics and molecular mechanism of a blood donor with weaken B antigen.The ABO blood group antigens on red blood cells were identified by monoclonal antibodies, the ABO antibodies in serum were detected by standard A, B, O cells and the activity of the B glycosyltransferase was analyzed. The full-length sequence and 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) sequence of ABO gene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) respectively and direct sequencing. The alternative splicing isoforms of ABO cDNA were obtained by reverse transcription-PCR(RT-PCR) and analyzed with cloning and sequencing techniques. The level of methylation of the CpG island in ABO gene promoter was analyzed by bisulfite sequencing method.The serological characteristic of the donor showed that the B antigen was decreased obviously without anti-B antibodies in serum and the B glycosyltransferase activity was decreased as well. The genotype of the donor was B101/O01 without any other mutations in the full-length coding sequences and splice receptor sites. The nucleotide characteristics of the 5'-UTR was consistent with B101/O01 and no any abnormity was identified in the promoter, enhancer and the negative regulatory sequence regions. The integrative cDNA transcript of ABO gene was obtained and no new splicing isoform was found. Compared with the normal B phenotype, a number of methylated CpG sites were found near the promoter of ABO gene in this sample.The methylation in the CpG island of ABO gene promoter region may cause weak expression of the B antigen.

To investigate the recombination events between human leukocyte antigen (HLA) loci within two families.Identification of HLA-A, -C, -B, -DRB1 and -DQB1 loci was firstly carried out using polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific oligonucleotide. Then HLA high resolution typing was performed using polymerase chain reaction sequencing-based typing. The recombination between HLA loci was identified by family genetic analysis. The parentage possibility was analyzed by short tandom repeat technique.Recombination between the HLA-A and C loci was identified within two families. One individual inherited a paternal haplotype that was the result of a recombination event between the father's HLA-A and -C loci on his chromosomes. The other individual inherited a maternal haplotype that was the result of a recombination event between the mother's HLA-A and -C loci. The high parentage possibilities were obtained in the family members.The recombination events of HLA-A and -C have been found in two Chinese families, which may help further study on the mechanism of HLA recombination.

The objective of this study was to analyze the molecular genetic basis for 2 individuals with A2B phenotype of ABO subtype. The ABO group antigens on red blood cells were identified by monoclonal antibodies and the ABO antibodies in serum were detected by the standard A, B, O cells. The exon 5 to exon 7 coding region of ABO gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the PCR product was sequenced directly after the enzymes digested. The amplified product was also cloned by TOPO TA cloning sequencing kit to split the 2 alleles apart and chosen colonies were sequencing bidirectionally for exon 6 to 7 of ABO gene. The results showed that both A and B antigen were identified on red blood cells of the individuals and there was anti-A1 antibody in their serum. There was no 261G deletion and showed 297A/G, 467C/T, 526C/G, 657C/T, 703G/A, 742C/T, 796C/A, 803G/C, 930G/A heterozygotes by direct DNA sequencing. After cloning and sequencing, it was obtained the B101 and one novel A allele. The novel allele has one nucleotide change at 742 position C to T compared with A102, which results in an amino acid Arg to Cys at 248 position and was nominated as A213. It is concluded that C742T mutation of the α1, 3 N-acetyl-D-galactosaminyl-transferase gene can lead to A2 phenotype and with anti-A1 antibody in serum.

To analyze the sequence of the exons 2-4 of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) novel allele HLA-B*15:129.DNA of the proband was extracted from whole blood by commercial DNA extraction kit. The amplification for HLA-B exons 2-4 was performed separately by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with allele group specific primers. The PCR products were digested with enzymes and then directly sequenced for exons 2-4 of HLA-B locus in both directions.Sequencing results showed the HLA-B alleles of the proband included B*07:02 and a novel allele. The sequence of the novel allele has been submitted to GenBank (accession no. EF473219) and the allele has been officially named B*15:129 by the WHO Nomenclature Committee. Comparing with the HLA-B*15:01:01:01, the sequence of exons 2-4 of HLA-B*15:129 showed three nucleotide difference in exon 3 at positions 362 and 363 from GG to AT and positions 369 from C to T, which resulted in an amino acid change from Arg to Asn at codon 97.A novel HLA-B allele was identified and has been officially named B15:129 by the WHO Nomenclature Committee.

This study was purposed to investigate the molecular basis of a para-Bombay phenotype for screening and identification of rare blood group. ABO and H phenotypes of the proband were identified by serological techniques. The exon 6 to exon 7 of ABO gene and full coding region of α-1,2-fucosyltransferase (fut1) gene of the proband were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing of the amplified fragments. The haplotype of compound heterozygote of fut1 was also identified by cloning sequencing. The results indicated that a rare para-Bombay phenotype was confirmed by serological techniques. Two deletion or insertion variant sites near nucleotide 547 and 880 were detected in fut1 gene. The results of cloning sequence showed that one haplotype of fut1 gene was two bases deletion at 547-552 (AGAGAG→AGAG), and another one was two bases deletion at position 880-882 (TTT→T). Both two variants caused a reading frame shift and a premature stop codon. It is concluded that a rare para-Bombay phenotype is found and confirmed in blood donor population. The molecular basis of this individual is compound heterozygote of two bases deletion on fut1 gene which weaken the activity of α-1, 2-fucosyltransferase.

To investigate the polymorphisms of platelet membrane glycoprotein genes related to human platelet alloantigen (HPA)-1 to 17w.The DNA segments of platelet membrane glycoprotein genes related to HPA-1 to 17w were amplified using author's designed primers. The amplification products were purified and directly sequenced to identify the HPA genotype and glycoprotein gene polymorphisms.Thirteen new single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and a micro-satellite sequence were found in the glycoprotein genes from the 112 random samples, in which two SNPs (1333G/A and 1960G/A) in ITGB3 gene result in two amino acid change (V419M and E628K) on glycoprotein GPIIIa.New variants in platelet membrane glycoprotein genes were identified, which may lead to structure change of platelet membrane glycoprotein and affect the accuracy of partial HPA genotyping method.

To clone and investigate the polymorphism of the 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) of the human ABO gene, in order to provide the basis for exploring the transcriptional regulation of the human ABO histo-blood group genes.ABO phenotypes of 30 unrelated healthy blood donors were determined by serological technique, their genotypes were analyzed by sequencing the exons 6 and 7 of the ABO gene. Nearly 5 kb of the 5'-UTR of ABO gene was obtained by PCR amplification and sequencing was performed bidirectionally. Haplotypes of samples with heterozygous sites in the 5'-UTR of ABO gene were separated and analyzed after cloning.Twenty polymorphic sites were identified in these samples where ABO genotypes were consistent with serological phenotypes. It included sixteen nucleotide sequence variations, one 8 bp deletion, one 6 bp deletion/insertion, one 36 bp insertion and one 43 bp repeats. Among them, 11 were novel polymorphic sites. Seven different haplotypes of 5'-UTR of ABO gene were defined to the cis/trans linkage of those mutations.There were polymorphisms in the 5'-UTR of ABO gene and the nucleotide sequences near the proximal promoter were conservative.

This study was purposed to investigate the nucleotide sequences of a novel HLA-B*15:124 allele and its molecular mechanism. The genomic DNA from whole blood was extracted by using commercial DNA extraction kit. The sequences of exon 2, 3 and 4 of HLA-B locus in the proband were amplified by PCR with group-specific primers, the PCR products were purified by enzymes digestion, then exon 2 to 4 of HLA-B locus for both orientations was sequenced. The results showed that 2 HLA-B alleles of proband were gained after amplification and sequencing of group-specific primers, among them one was a B*40:03, another was a novel allele. After BLAST analysis, the novel allele showed nucleotides different from HLA-B*15:52 in exon 3 at nucleotide position 427 AT and 440 GT which resulted in amino acid change from Thr to Ser at codon 143 and Trp to Leu at conon 147. It is concluded that a novel HLA-B allele has two different nucleotides. This HLA-B allele is identified and has been officially named B*15:124 by the WHO Nomenclature Committee.

The aim of study was to explore the feasibility of quantitative chimerism analysis of regulatory T (Treg) cells using immune sorting coupling short tandem repeat (STR) method. 14 sets of artificial chimera samples were prepared by mixed lymphocytes according to different proportion. The CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg cells were harvested by negative and positive selection of immunomagnetic beads, then the STR polymorphisms of 16 loci in sorted Treg cells was analyzed. The results showed that the DNA amount extracted from sorted Treg cells was fit for STR detection. All STR alleles specific for recipient or donor could be detected and the quantitative results were consistent with theoretic values in over 10% recipient chimeras. But only partial recipient alleles could be detected and the quantitative results were different from theoretic values in less then 1% recipient chimeras. It is concluded that a quantitative chimerism analysis of Treg cell based on immune sorting is established. The sensitivity and accuracy for chimera detection are 1% to 10%, and this method can be used to monitoring hematopoietic chimerism following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

This study was aimed to analyze the possibility of high resolution matching for human leukocyte antigen (HLA) loci in unrelated donor-recipient pair with low resolution match in HLA-A, -B, -DRB1 loci. Samples were genotyped for HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1 and -DQB1 by polymerase chain reaction sequence based typing (PCR-SBT). The results showed that the total number of patients and the donors were 166 and 274. 97 (58.43%) patients were matched for 1 donor and 47 (28.31%) patients were matched for 2 donors at low resolution level; among 274 donor-recipient pairs, HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1 and -DQB1 loci matching for 6/10, 7/10, 8/10, 9/10 and 10/10 were 32 (11.68%), 54 (19.71%), 62 (22.63%), 49 (17.88%) and 48 (17.52%) respectively; there were mismatch in HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1 and -DQB1 loci, and the most mismatch was in HLA-C locus. The number of alleles of HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1 and -DQB1 loci were 23, 46, 21, 30 and 17 respectively in the donors. The alleles number HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1 and -DQB1 loci were 20, 40, 22, 29 and 16 respectively in the patients; the haplotype number of HLA loci were 311 in the donors and 224 in the patients. The high frequency of haplotype was A*02:07-B*46:01-C*01:02-DRB1*09:01:02-DQB1*03:03 (5.63% and 6.88%). It is concluded that the probability of high resolution mismatch of HLA loci is high in unrelated donor-recipient pairs with low resolution match in HLA-A, -B, -DRB1 loci.

To establish the allele specific primer polymerase chain reaction sequence-based typing (PCR-SBT) and investigate the polymorphism of exon 3 of human leukocyte antigen( HLA)-DRB1.The fragment containing exons 2 and 3 of HLA-DRB1 gene was amplified by group specific primers. The amplified products were digested by restriction enzymes and directly sequenced in both directions. The genotype was assigned by using Assign 3.5 SBT software.The exon 3 sequences of HLA-DRB1*08:09 and HLA-DRB1*12:02:01 were identified for the first time. There were 27 polymorphic sites in exon 3 among the twenty-five HLA-DRB1 alleles, which was 9.56% of all nucleotides of exon 3. The method could discriminate the HLA-DRB1*14:01:01/14:54 ambiguous samples, and the HLA-DRB1*14:01:01 was identified in the Chinese population.The PCR-SBT method for exon 3 of HLA-DRB1 from the present study was reliable and there were polymorphisms in exon 3 of HLA-DRB1.

In order to construct prokaryotic expression system of MHC classI chain-related gene A (mica) and purify MICA protein, RNAs were extracted from the peripheral blood samples and mica cDNA fragments were obtained by RT-PCR method. The cDNA for mica was ligated with cloning vector by TOPO method. The recombinant cloning vector and prokaryotic expression vector pET-28a were digested by two restriction enzymes and ligated to construct pET-28a-MICA recombinant expression vector, then the pET-28a-MICA vector was transformed and expressed in E. coli BL21 DE3. The recombinant protein was purified by Ni-NTA Spin method. The results showed that the recombinant MICA protein expressed with soluble form in host with pET-28a-MICA vector after IPTG induction. The recombinant target protein was obtained by Ni-NTA spin purification. In conclusion, this study has constructed prokaryotic expression system of mica gene and has purified MICA protein which would help to explore the interaction between MICA and transplantation immunology.

Objective of this study was to explore the molecular basis of a new O61 allele in ABO blood group. The ABO group antigens on red cells of the blood samples were identified by monoclonal antibodies and the ABO antibody in serum was detected by the standard A, B, O red cells. The coding region sequences of exon 5 to exon 7 in ABO gene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the amplification products were purified with double enzyme digestion and directly sequenced for exon 6 and 7. The diploid of the individual with B phenotype was separated into its haploid components with a haplotype specific extraction method. The exons 6 to 7 of the two single ABO haplotypes were then amplified and sequenced separately. The results indicated that 3 samples had mutation at 743 site in total 417 individuals, in which 2 individuals were with O phenotype and 1 individual was with B phenotype. The DNA sequencing of exon 6 and 7 in 2 samples with O phenotype showed 261G deletion and 743G/C heterozygotes. The DNA sequencing of exon 6 and 7 in the sample with B phenotype showed 261G/deletion and 297A/G, 526C/G, 743G/C, 657C/T, 703G/A, 796C/A, 803G/C, 930G/A heterozygotes. After separating of the 2 single strands in the B sample with haplotype specific extraction, an O and B101 allele were identified after sequencing. The novel allele was submitted to the Blood Group Antigen Gene Mutation database and is named as O61. It is concluded that 743GC is a novel mutation in exon 7 of ABO and a novel O61 allele with 743GC has been identified.

To investigate the molecular genetic basis of para-Bombay phenotype in a Chinese family.ABO and H phenotypes of the proband and his pedigree were characterized by serological techniques. The exons 6 and 7 of the ABO gene and full coding region of alpha-1,2-fucosyltransferase (FUT1) gene of the pedigree were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing of the amplified fragments. The haplotypes of compound heterozygote of the FUT1 gene were also analyzed by cloning sequencing.Three para-Bombay phenotypes were identified in nine family members by serological technology. Three heterozygous variants (35C/T, 235G/C and 682A/G) were found in FUT1 gene of the proband, and the hapotype of FUT1 gene was h(235C)/h(35T+628G)according to the cloning sequencing. The alleles h(235C)and h(35T+628G) caused G79R, A12V and M228V amino acid substitutions in alpha-1,2-fucosyltransferase, respectively.A novel 235GC mutation of FUT1 gene which was associated with para-Bombay phenotype was found in the Chinese pedigree.

To investigate the molecular genetic basis of the B3 variant of ABO blood group system with mixed-field hemagglutination in Chinese.Serological techniques were performed to characterize the erythrocyte phenotype of two discrepant samples. A sequential agglutination method and 13 short tandem repeat (STR) loci were tested to exclude the possibility of exogenous or endogenous DNA chimera. Mutations in exons 6 and 7, including partial intron of the ABO gene, were screened by polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing. Haplotypes of the two individuals were also analyzed by sequencing.A mixed-field hemagglutination of RBCs with anti-B and anti-AB antibodies was detected in the two unrelated individuals. Exogenous ABO-incompatible RBC transfusion and endogenous genetic chimera were excluded by sequential agglutination method and STR. The ABO phenotypes of the two individuals were classified as A1B3 according to the ABO subgroup definition. The sequence region from intron 5 to 3'-UTR of the B allele was identical to that of ABO*B101 allele, except for a T to C substitution at nucleotide position 425 in exon 7. This substitution resulted in an amino acid change of M142T in the B glycosyltransferase.A novel B allele with 425TC substitution resulting in B3 subgroup was identified in two Chinese individuals.

We investigated the molecular genetic basis of rare cisAB variants at the ABO locus in Chinese population. Serological techniques were performed to characterize erythrocyte phenotype of 12 discrepant samples and 116 randomly selected samples. Mutations of complete exon 6 and 7 including flanking intron in the ABO genes were screened by PCR and directly sequencing. The haplotypes of diverse genotypes were also analyzed by cloning sequencing. Twelve samples were identified as AweakB or ABweak phenotype by serological technology, and were also identified as cisAB variants including four genotypes by directly sequencing. Two cisAB alleles were found by haplotype sequencing. One allele was cisAB01, in which four nucleotide acid alterations were observed (467CT and 803GC in exon 7, 163TC and 179CT in intron 6); the other allele maintained a nucleotide acid of A101 allele (803G) compared with B101 allele, which resulted in a polypep-tide containing 176G, 235S, 266M, and 268G four amino acids. This is a novel allele, which has been named cisAB05 by Blood Group Antigen Gene Mutation Database. According to systematically investigation of the molecular genetic basis of the cisAB variants in Chinese population, we found a novel cisAB05 allele and presumed that the cisAB01 allele is derived from homologues exchange of A101-B101 combination.