Publications by authors named "Kong Xian-Tao"

It has recently been found that excessive serum B-cell activating factor (BAFF) production triggers severe autoimmune disorders in mice resembling systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Whether such dysregulation in circulating levels of BAFF results from overexpression of BAFF gene in clinical patients with SLE is still unclear. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the expression of BAFF and SLE.

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Objectives: To establish a primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) model by AMAM2 autoantigen injection into C57BL/6 mice.

Methods: Mice of the model group were immunized intraperitonealy with 200 microl of purified recombinant AMAM2 autoantigen in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Mice immunized with bovine serum albumin and CFA in the same way were used as negative controls.

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Background: Although it has been hypothesized that hypertension is in part an inflammatory disorder, clinical data linking inflammation with incident hypertension are scarce. There is evidence that have shown that CD40-CD40L interaction plays a pathogenic role in inflammatory disorders. We assessed whether CD40 system expressions were altered in patients including 30 with hypertension grade 1, 80 with hypertension grade 2 and 40 with hypertension grade 3.

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Patients with cancer frequently develop autoantibodies, and the identification of panels of tumor autoantigens may have utility in early cancer diagnosis and immunotherapy. This study aims to exploit the autoantibody repertoire in pancreatic cancer and identify the possible serum marker for pancreatic cancer. Sera from 55 newly diagnosed patients with pancreatic cancer and 52 healthy controls were analyzed for antibody-based reactivity against Hep-2, a human larynx epithelioma cancer cell line, with one-dimensional immunoblot assay.

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Objective: To determine the relationship between polymorphisms in the genes encoding IL-1, IL-6, and IL-10 with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) in Chinese population.

Methods: Whole-blood samples were taken from 77 patients with PBC and 160 healthy controls. DNA was extracted and the polymorphisms at positions IL-1 +3953, IL-1RN intron 2, IL-6 -174, and IL-10 -1082, -819, and -592 were determined by using sequence-specific polymerase chain reaction (SSP) or polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).

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Objective: To investigate the association between Chinese patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and the polymorphisms of cytotoxic T lymphocyte -associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) gene promoter (-318) and exon 1 (+49).

Methods: The CTLA-4 promoter (-318 T/C) and exon 1 (+49A/G) polymorphisms were genotyped via restriction fragment length polymorphism methods in 62 Chinese AIH patients, 77 Chinese PBC patients and 160 healthy controls.

Results: There was no difference in the distribution of CTLA-4 promoter -318 T/C polymorphisms between AIH patients and controls, but the C allele frequency was significantly increased in patients with AIH, compared to controls (P=0.

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The IFCC Committee on Plasma Proteins has been investigating regional differences for commonly assayed plasma proteins to determine whether universal reference intervals can be applied. As a part of this study, we launched an Asian project analyzing the concentrations of 13 serum proteins whose values are standardized to CRM470, and five newer analytes: retinol-binding protein (RBP), cystatin C (CysC), light-chain-kappa (L-kappa), and light-chain-lambda (L-lambda). In Tokyo, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Taipei and Shanghai, serum samples were collected from 146 to 415 apparently healthy individuals with nearly equal gender ratios.

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Aim: To study the mechanism responsible for alteration of T cell response in IDDM patients.

Methods: T cells from peripheral blood of IDDM patients were activated by anti-TCR antibodies. The level of TCR-mediated signaling pathway was analyzed.

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Aim: To clarify the fractional activity of promoters from human alpha1(I) procollagen gene, the interaction between cis-elements and consensus DNA-binding proteins responsible for high promoter activity, and the potential application of promoter competitors as well as cytokines for antifibrogenesis.

Methods: Sequence between 2483 bp upstream of the start of transcription and 42 bp downstream of this site was investigated with serial 5'-deletion. The 5'-deleted promoters recombined with chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) as reporter gene were transiently transfected to human dermal fibroblasts.

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Aim: To analyze apoptosis and its degree of thymocytes at early and intermediate phases induced by anti-TCRalphabeta mAb or anti-TCRalphabeta mAb+anti-CD28 mAb stimuli, and to analyze the influence of CD28 costimulator on TCR-induced apoptosis of thymocyte subsets.

Methods: Thymocytes were freshly prepared and were cultured for 20 h in the presence of anti-TCRalphabeta mAb+anti-CD28 mAb or anti-TCRalphabeta mAb along, The cultured cells were stained with fluorescein labelled Annexin V, PI, anti-CD4 mAb and anti-CD8 mAb, then color reagents. The apoptotic cells were analyzed by FACS.

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Background: Increasing evidence shows that high expression of CD40L plays an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. We evaluated the clinical predictive value of increased serum soluble CD40 ligand (CD40L) in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and acute chest pain.

Methods: Serum levels of soluble CD40 ligand were measured by ELISA in 128 patients with ACS and in 68 patients with acute chest pain.

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Aim: To investigate whether upregulation of CD40-CD40 ligand system is related to matrix metalloproteinases level and stability of coronary atherosclerotic plaque in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Methods: Sixteen normal controls and 56 patients including 24 with stable angina (SA), 20 with unstable angina (UA), and 12 with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were investigated. The expression of CD40 and CD40L on platelet was analyzed by flow cytometry.

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Background & Objective: Multiple myeloma (MM), a plasma cell tumor, is difficult to cure by now. Previous study showed that As2O3 could inhibit the proliferation and induce the apoptosis of myeloma cell in vitro. The aim of this study was to explore the possible mechanism of arsenic trioxide (As2O3) on multiple myeloma cells.

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Objective: To develope a new enzyme immune assay (ELISA) for detection of M2 antibody specific for primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) by using a triple hybrid clone as antigen, which coexpresses the three immunodominant lipoyl domains of PDC-E2, BCOADC-E2 and OGDC-E2 from human sources.

Methods: After expressing autoantigens of PBC in prokaryote by constructing recombinant expressive plasmid successfully, the fusion protein was purified by affinity chromatography. The sera of 17 PBC patients were examined.

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Background: Increasing evidence shows that CD40-CD40L interaction plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. The mechanism of CD40-CD40L interaction might be related to signal transduction via receptor. The transduction pathway of the CD40 receptor may involve the activation of phospholipase C (PLC) which induces the production of inositol trisphosphate (IP(3)) leading to the increase of the intracellular free calcium on one hand, and of diacylglycerol (DAG) which stimulates the translocation to the membrane of protein kinase C (PKC).

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Aim: To investigate the presence of M2 antibodies specific for primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) in asymptomatic Chinese and identify patients with early PBC.

Methods: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests for M2 antibodies to recombinant protein were performed in 5 011 subjects (age range, 26-85 years; mean age: 45.81+/-15.

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Objective: To study the effects of arsenic trioxide (As(2)O(3)) on cell cycle and expression of cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors (CDKIs) in multiple myeloma (MM) cells, and explore its pharmacological mechanism.

Methods: The DNA content of MM cells line HS-Sultan was analyzed by flow cytometry after exposure to As(2)O(3), the effects on expression of CDKI P15, P16 AND P21 were studied by reverse transcriptase PCR.

Results: DNA flow cytometric analysis showed that As(2)O(3) induced most of HS-Sultan cells, arrest at G(0)/G(1) phase and a small fraction at G(2)/M phase and apoptosis occurred mainly in S phase.

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Aim: To investigate whether CD40-CD40 ligand interaction can activate diacylglycerol (DAG)-protein kinase C (PKC) signaling pathway and intracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]i) in cultured human peripheral blood monocytes (PBMC).

Methods: The DAG levels in PBMC were studied with radio-enzymatic assay. Quantitative measurements of (32)P-phosphatidic acid were performed by thin-layer chromatography and autoradiography.

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Aim: To construct and express a humanized M(2) autoantigen trimer designated as BPO and to apply it in the diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC).

Methods: cDNA fragments encoding M(2)-reactive epitopes of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex E(2) (PDC-E(2)), branched chain 2-oxo-acid dehydrogenase complex E(2) (BCOADC-E(2)) and 2-oxo-glutarate dehydrogenase complex E(2) (OGDC-E(2)) were amplified with PCR using total RNA extracted from human peripheral mononuclear blood cells. The fragments were cloned into the plasmid vector pQE-30 and then transferred into E.

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