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Interferon (IFN)-alphas constitute a family of proteins exhibiting high degree of homology in primary, secondary, and tertiary structure and display a high level of species specificity in their biological properties. However, small structural differences in these proteins may be responsible for a significant variety of biological actions. Understanding the structure and function of human IFN-alpha is very important. Recombinant techniques are important tools for the production and modification of IFN proteins. The first IFN hybrid, IFN-alpha1/alpha2 was constructed using recombinant technology in 1981. Subsequently, a number of IFN hybrids and mutants have been constructed, expressed and characterized. These hybrids and mutants have resulted in novel IFNs that either combine different biological properties from the parental proteins or have significantly different biological activity. Therefore, IFN hybrids and mutants have provided a powerful tool for studying the structure and function of these molecules. Also, these engineered IFNs may have important new therapeutic applications and may provide greater sights into understanding of the clinical activities of these molecules.

Objective: To discuss the clinical characteristic of Electroglottography (EGG) curves of pathological voice in adult., Method: Four hundred and fifty-three adults with pathological voices were examined by EGG and the abnormal EGG curves were analyzed., Result: (1) the EGG cycle was composed of contact phase (CP) and open phase (OP), the ratio of CP/OP was between 0.70 to 2.95, otherwise it was abnormal; (2) the CP was composed of closing-contact phase (CCP) and contact-opening phase (COP); the OP was composed of opening-open phase (OOP) and open-closing phase (OCP); (3) the abnormal formations of every phases in vibration cycle contained: smooth CCP, notches in CCP, flat in wave peak, steep COP, notches in COP, knurls in COP, knurls in OOP and in OCP; duplicate waves and irregular waves were fewer, but they reflected the special vibratory patterns of pathological voices; (5) Each abnormal formation fell as the follow: COP>OP>CCP. Each pathological voices presented different characteristics; (6) combined variance appeared in part pathological voices, such as single vocal polyps, double vocal polyps, Reinke edema and glottic laryngocarcinoma. COP combined with OOP was the most usual., Conclusion: The abnormal variance formations of EGG curves of pathological voices in adult are intricate and they have inherent relations with each other. The establishment of OP variance increases the pathological EGG and the OP abnormities is CP abnormities. There are different orientations and rules in different pathological voices.

CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Treg) are instrumental in the maintenance of immunological tolerance. One critical question is whether Treg can only be generated in the thymus or can differentiate from peripheral CD4+CD25- naive T cells. In this paper, we present novel evidence that conversion of naive peripheral CD4+CD25- T cells into anergic/suppressor cells that are CD25+, CD45RB-/low and intracellular CTLA-4+ can be achieved through costimulation with T cell receptors (TCRs) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta). Although transcription factor Foxp3 has been shown recently to be associated with the development of Treg, the physiological inducers for Foxp3 gene expression remain a mystery. TGF-beta induced Foxp3 gene expression in TCR-challenged CD4+CD25- naive T cells, which mediated their transition toward a regulatory T cell phenotype with potent immunosuppressive potential. These converted anergic/suppressor cells are not only unresponsive to TCR stimulation and produce neither T helper cell 1 nor T helper cell 2 cytokines but they also express TGF-beta and inhibit normal T cell proliferation in vitro. More importantly, in an ovalbumin peptide TCR transgenic adoptive transfer model, TGF-beta-converted transgenic CD4+CD25+ suppressor cells proliferated in response to immunization and inhibited antigen-specific naive CD4+ T cell expansion in vivo. Finally, in a murine asthma model, coadministration of these TGF-beta-induced suppressor T cells prevented house dust mite-induced allergic pathogenesis in lungs.