T-helper-associated cytokines expression by peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy and age-related macular degeneration.

Background: Immune responses play a key role in the pathogenesis and progression of polypoidal choroidal vasculopath (PCV) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In this study, we determined the Th cell-associated immune responses by measuring the cytokine expression of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in both PCV and neovascular AMD (nAMD) patients.

Methods: Twenty-seven nAMD patients, 33 PCV patients and a gender- and age-matched group of 18 healthy individuals were involved in this study.

[Influence of the reductase deficient Escherichia coli on the solubility of recombinant proteins produced in it].

The cytoplasm of E. coli is a reducing environment where cysteines do not engage in disulfide bonds. Any disulfide bonds that do appear are rapidly reduced through the action of disulfide reducing enzymes such as thioredoxin and glutaredoxin.

[Expression of a human single-chain Fv antibody against HBsAg in Pichia pastoris].

To express and secrete native HBscFv (anti-HBsAg single-chain Fv) in P. pastoris, HBscFv was amplified from plasmid pGEM-HBscFv, and then sub-cloned into expression vector pPICZalphaA. The resulting plasmid pPIC-HBscFv was linearized and transformed into P.

Solubility of disulfide-bonded proteins in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli and its "oxidizing" mutant.

Aim: To study the influence of redox environment of Escherichia coli (E. coli) cytoplasm on disulfide bond formation of recombinant proteins.

Methods: Bovine fibroblast growth factor (BbFGF) was selected as a model of simple proteins with a single disulfide bond and free cysteines.