Enhancement of p53 gene transfer efficiency in hepatic tumor mediated by transferrin receptor through trans-arterial delivery.

Transferrin-DNA complex mediated by transferrin receptor in combination with interventional trans-arterial injection into a target organ may be a duel-target-oriented delivery means to achieve an efficient gene therapy. In this study, transferrin receptor expression in normal human hepatocyte and two hepatocellular-carcinoma cells (Huh7/SK-Hep1) was determined. p53-LipofectAMINE with different amounts of transferrin was transfected into the cells and the gene transfection efficiency was evaluated.

Parvovirus B19 DNA in Factor VIII concentrates: effects of manufacturing procedures and B19 screening by nucleic acid testing.

Background: Parvovirus B19 (B19) is a common contaminant, especially in coagulation factors. Because of B19 transmission by pooled plasma, solvent/detergent treated in 1999, some fractionators initiated minipool nucleic acid testing (NAT) to limit the B19 load in manufacturing pools. In this study, the extent of B19 DNA contamination in commercial Factor VIII concentrates, that is, antihemophilic factor (human) (AHF), manufactured before and after B19 NAT screening was implemented, was determined.

Effect of hepatitis C virus core protein on the molecular profiling of human B lymphocytes.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein features many intriguing properties and plays a pivotal role in cellular immunity, cell growth, apoptosis, cell transformation, and eventually in tumor development. However, the role of B cells, the primary players in the humoral immune response, during HCV infection is largely unknown. To explore the molecular effects of HCV core on human B cells, we conducted gene expression profiling of serial RNA samples from B cells that were infected with adenovirus harboring full-length HCV core protein and beta-galactosidase as a reference using a microarray platform containing 22,149 human oligo probes.

Parvovirus B19 transmission by a high-purity factor VIII concentrate.

Background: Parvovirus B19 (B19) is known to cause a variety of human diseases in susceptible individuals by close contact via the respiratory route or by transfusion of contaminated blood or blood products. In this study, whether a case of B19 transmission was causally related to the infusion of implicated lots of a solvent/detergent (S/D)-treated, immunoaffinity-purified factor VIII concentrate (antihemophilic factor [human][AHF]) was investigated.

Study Design And Methods: Anti-B19 (both immunoglobulin M [IgM] and immunoglobulin G [IgG]) and B19 DNA (by a nucleic acid testing [NAT] procedure) were assayed in two implicated product lots, a plasma pool, and a recipient's serum sample.

Molecular pathogenesis of human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. However, the viral-chemical etiology as well as molecular mechanisms of HCC pathogenesis remains largely unknown. Recent studies in our laboratory have identified several potential factors that may contribute to the pathogenesis of HCC.

SAGE transcript profiles of normal primary human hepatocytes expressing oncogenic hepatitis B virus X protein.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HBV encodes an oncogenic HBx gene that functions as a transcriptional coactivator of multiple cellular genes. To understand the role(s) of HBx in the early genesis of HCC, we systematically analyzed gene expression profiles by serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) in freshly isolated human primary hepatocytes infected with a replication-defective adenovirus containing HBx.