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Background: Polymorphisms of the CC chemokine receptor 6 (CCR6) and RNASET2 tag SNP have been shown to be associated with the susceptibility to several immune-related diseases. This study was conducted to identify the association of CCR6 and RNASET2 tag SNP with autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITDs) in the Chinese Han population. Methods: We enrolled 1061 patients with AITDs, including 701 patients with Graves' disease (GD) and 360 patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), and 938 healthy individuals for a case-control genetic association study. Three CCR6 single nucleotides polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs3093023/rs3093024/rs6902119) and one tagging SNP (rs9355610) within RNASET2 gene were selected for genotyping by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and ligase detection reaction (LDR). Results: The frequency of rs9355610 genotypes in the patients with GD differed significantly from that in the controls (p = 0.017). The frequency of the minor G allele of rs9355610 was significantly higher in the GD patients than in the healthy controls (p = 0.005, OR = 1.225, 95% CI:1.063-1.412). However, we could not find significant differences in the genotype or allele frequencies of HT patients compared with healthy controls. After gender stratification, the frequency of the minor G allele in both male and female GD patients was significantly higher than that in the healthy controls (p = 0.036, OR = 1.308, 95% CI:1.017-1.684 ; p = 0.048, OR = 1.19, 95% CI:1.001-1.413; respectively);. Furthermore, the frequency of haplotype AT in GD patients was significantly lower than that in their control groups (p = 0.003) and showed a protective effect against GD (OR = 0.806, 95% CI: 0.699-0.929). The frequency of haplotype GT in GD patients was significantly higher than that in their control groups (p = 0.048), indicating that GT was the risk haplotype to GD (OR = 1.267, 95% CI: 1.001-1.603). There were no significant differences in the allele or genotype frequencies of three SNPs of CCR6 (rs3093023/rs3093024/ rs6902119) gene between GD patients, HT patients and controls. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the rs9355610 tag SNP of RNASET2 gene is positively associated with susceptibility to GD in the Chinese Han population. No association was found for the tested CCR6 SNPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on the systemicity of chlorantraniliprole in velvetleaf. Chlorantraniliprole is described as an anthranilic diamide insecticide while velvetleaf is defined as medicinal and ornamental plant and a source of fiber. The study seeks to understand the system of the insecticide in order to develop strategies to control vegetable or rice pests. Findings show that the insecticide can be transported through the xylem upstream yet lacks phloem mobility in velvetleaf.

Abstract This paper reports a new method to make the solgel film from silicate. It provided more profitable conditions than hydrolysis of alkoxyl silane to prepare the high-quality nanometers thin film. The thin film could be applied as the matrix to directly modify the molecules of methylene blue on electrode surface and kept their electrochemical activity excellently. It exhibited the remarkable catalytic activity for the oxidation of NADH or reduction of hemoglobin while severally embedding them in the solgel film together with methylene blue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the role of TIGIT signal in Th1/Th2 balance in the process of Schistosoma japonicum infection., Methods: Male C57BL/6 mice were infected with cercariae of S. japonicum , and normal uninfected mice served as the controls. The percentages of TIGIT + cells, Ki67 + CD3 + CD4 + TIGIT + cells, Ki67 + CD3 + CD4 + TIGIT - cells, IFN-γ + CD3 + CD4 + TIGIT + cells, IFN-γ + CD3 + CD4 + TIGIT - cells, IL-4 + CD3 + CD4 + TIGIT + cells and IL-4 + CD3 + CD4 + TIGIT - cells were evaluated in mouse spleen by flow cytometry., Results: The proportion of TIGIT + CD4 + T cells was higher in the spleen of S. japonicum -infected mice than in the normal uninfected mice (29.30%±0.70% vs. 3.09%±0.50%; t = 8.834, P < 0.01) . However, no significant difference in the percentages of TIGIT + CD8 + T cells between the infection group and normal controls (3.61%±0.26% vs. 3.58%±0.16%; t = 0.108, P > 0.05), and no significant difference was detected in the percentages of TIGIT + cells in non-T cells between the infection group and controls (1.86%±0.19% vs.1.37%±0.17%; t = 1.931, P > 0.05) . In addition, the proportion of Ki67 in the TIGIT + cells was higher than that in the TIGIT - cells (17.03%±0.64% vs. 6.59%±0.37%; t = 14.09, P < 0.01) . The Th2/Th1 ratio was higher in the TIGIT + CD4 + T cells than in the TIGIT - CD4 + T cells (39.28%±3.75% vs. 11.79%±1.64%; t = 6.721, P < 0.01) ., Conclusions: The TIGIT signaling may be involved in the development of Th2 responses in the mice infected with S. japonicum .

Objective: To assess the influence of glycolytic pathway on the proportion and numbers of regulatory T cells during Schistosoma japonicum infection., Methods: A S. japonicum -infected mouse model was established, and C57/BL6 male mice infected with S. japonicum were subjected to intraperitoneal injections of with the glycolytic inhibitor 2-Deoxy-D-glucose (2DG) or PBS for 6 times, and then the cells from spleen or mesenteric lymph nodes (LNs) were isolated and analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM) to detect the percentage of Glut1 + CD4 + T cells and Treg cells., Results: The proportions of Glut1 + CD4 + T cells in the spleen (43.58%±2.50% vs. 21.15%±0.96%; t = 8.834, P < 0.01) and mesenteric LNs (38.97%±1.97% vs. 28.40%±2.11%; t = 3.662, P < 0.05) were higher in the normal mice than those in the infected mice, and the percentages of Treg cells in the spleen (6.83%±0.21% vs. 13.30%±0.35%; t = 15.65, P < 0.01) and LNs (8.26%±0.15% vs. 14.37%±0.44%; t = 13.14, P < 0.01) were lower in the normal mice than those in the infected mice. In addition, the proportions of Treg cells in the spleen (15.50%±0.76% vs. 13.07%±0.15%; t = 3.130, P < 0.05) and LNs (17.00% ±0.41% vs. 13.83%±0.18%; t = 6.947, P < 0.01) were higher in the infected mice injected intraperitoneally with 2DG than those in the infected mice injected intraperitoneally with PBS., Conclusions: Glycolytic pathway inhibits Treg differentiation in the spleen and mesenteric LNs of S. japonicum -infected mice.

Objective: To explore the possible mechanisms by which Schistosoma japonicum heat shock protein 60 (SjH-SP60) enhances CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cell (Treg) immunosuppressive function., Methods: An in vitro method was used to investigate the effect of SjHSP60 on Treg immunosuppressive activity. Co-cultures in transwells and in vitro suppression assay were performed to investigate how SjHSP60 enhanced the immunosuppressive function of Tregs. Intracellular cytokine staining combined with flow cytometry was used to detect Treg-expressing IL-10 and TGF-β, and flow cytometry was also used to analyze the expressions of Foxp3 and CTLA-4 in Tregs., Results: SjHSP60 enhanced the immunosuppressive function of Tregs. Soluble cytokines IL-10 and TGF-β mediated inhibitory activity of SjHSP60-triggered Tregs. SjHSP60 induced significant increases in both IL-10 and TGF-β expressions of Tregs. Further investigation showed significant increased Foxp3 and CTLA-4 in SjHSP60-trggered Tregs., Conclusions: SjHSP60 enhances Treg immunosuppressive function by promoting the expressions of IL-10 and TGF-β, possibly due to SjHSP60-mediated induction of Foxp3 and CTLA-4 in Tregs.

Objective: To study the influence of sex on the generation and function of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells in the process of Schistosoma japonicum infection., Methods: Totally 50 schistosomiasis patients were selected in the endemic areas of Chizhou City, Anhui Province, and totally 50 healthy people were selected in the non-endemic areas of Chizhou City as the controls. The peripheral bloods were collected from the above study subjects, and the human peripheral blood mononuclear cells from male/female schistosomiasis japonica patients or healthy controls were collected into the sodium heparin tubes and purified by Ficoll-paque plus density gradient centrifugation. Then, the percentages of total Tfh cell, ICOS + Tfh cells, and PD-1 + Tfh cells in the schistosomiasis male/female patients or healthy controls were evaluated by flow cytometry., Results: Compared with the male and female healthy controls, the frequency of the total Tfh cells ( U male = 149.0, U female = 39.5, both P < 0.01), the percentages of PD-1+ Tfh cells ( t male = 5.9, t female = 7.7, both P < 0.01) and ICOS+ Tfh cells ( t male = 3.2, t female = 5.9, both P < 0.01) of the male and female patients with schistosomiasis increased, all the differences were statistically significant. The further analysis showed that the percentage of total Tfh cells ( U = 187.5, P < 0.05), ICOS + Tfh cells ( t = 3.2, P < 0.05), and PD-1 + Tfh cells ( t = 3.0, P < 0.05) of the female patients were markedly higher than those of the male patients, all the differences were also statistically significant., Conclusions: Sex may be a crucial role in the generation and function of Tfh cells in the process of Schistosoma japonicum infection.

In order to realize real-time navigation in orthognathic surgery, i.e. to realize real-time tracking the pose (position and rotation) of the patient and the instruments, we developed a 3D osteotomy simulation and real-time navigation system (3D OsteoSim&Nav) for the first time in China. After the preoperative 3D simulation, system matches the markers on 3D model to the markers in surgical patient's site to complete the registration. Then the system real-time tracks the pose of the surgical instruments and patient, and real-time offset the site change of the patient. In this way the doctor can accurately operate according to the simulative results. The experimental results show that this navigation system works well and improves the surgical precision.