Reg2 treatment is protective but the induced Reg2 autoantibody is destructive to the islets in NOD mice.

Regenerating family protein 2 (Reg2) is a trophic factor which stimulates β-cell replication and resists islet destruction. However, Reg2 also serves as an islet autoantigen, which makes it complicated to judge the effectiveness in treating diabetes. How Reg2 treatment behaves in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice is to be investigated.

HLA correlates in a cohort of slow progressors from China: effects on HIV-1 disease progression.

We looked at our HIV + slow progressors cohort to determine if there were any human leukocyte antigen (HLA) correlates for protection. No statistically significant allelic differences were found between the HIV + and control cohorts using regression analysis, though trends were noted. Data for Elite Controllers showed an increased frequency of B*57.

Interleukin-17, produced by lymphocytes, promotes tumor growth and angiogenesis in a mouse model of breast cancer.

Previous studies have suggested that interleukin-17 (IL-17), an inflammatory cytokine expressed predominantly by Th17 cells, is highly expressed in tumor tissue and may help tumors to evade immune surveillance. In this study, the significance of IL-17 expression in the tumors of murine models of breast cancer was explored. BALB/c mice were injected with MA782/5S28102 or 4T1 breast cancer cell lines to establish breast tumors.

Association between mutations of the luteinizing hormone β subunit and female infertility.

To explore the association between mutations of Trp8Arg and Ile15Thr in the luteinizing hormone (LH) gene and female infertility, primary female infertility patients (n=60) and normal healthy women (n=60) were screened for mutations Trp8Arg and Ile15Thr in the LH-β subunit gene by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism, and associations were examined between the mutations and female infertility. The results showed that there were significant differences in the allele and genotype frequencies of Trp8Arg and Ile15Thr between the two groups (P<0.05).

Polymorphisms in estrogen receptor-α are associated with idiopathic female infertility.

To investigate the relationship between polymorphisms in the estrogen receptor-α (ERα) gene and unexplained female infertility, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of ERα was employed in 150 females with idiopathic infertility (study group) and 150 healthy, age-matched females of proven fertility (control group). The results showed that the ERα allele frequencies differed significantly between the study and control groups (P=0.001).

Extensive HLA-driven viral diversity following a narrow-source HIV-1 outbreak in rural China.

Obstacles to developing an HIV-1 vaccine include extensive viral diversity and lack of correlates of protective immunity. High mutation rates allow HIV-1 to adapt rapidly to selective forces such as antiretroviral therapy and immune pressure, including HIV-1-specific CTLs that select viral variants which escape T-cell recognition. Multiple factors contribute to HIV-1 diversity, making it difficult to disentangle the contribution of CTL selection without using complex analytical approaches.

[Epidemiologic study and HLA analysis of highly exposed to HIV but persistently seronegative subjects (HEPS) in commercial blood donors in China].

Background: To investigate epidemiology and HLA typing of highly exposed to HIV but persistently seronegative subjects (HEPS) in commercial blood donors in China.

Methods: This was a cohort study for epidemiologic characteristics of highly exposed but persistently seronegative subjects. PCR with sequence-specific primer and PCR-SSP for HLA typing were applied.