AIM:To investigate immunosuppressive agents used to treat inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)in East China. METHODS:A retrospective review was conducted, involving 227 patients with IBD admitted to Sir Run Run Shaw Hospit...AIM:To investigate immunosuppressive agents used to treat inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)in East China. METHODS:A retrospective review was conducted, involving 227 patients with IBD admitted to Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital,College of Medicine,Zhejiang University from June 2000 to December 2007.Data regarding demographic,clinical characteristics and immunosuppressants usage were analyzed. RESULTS:A total of 227 eligible patients were evaluated in this study,including 104 patients with Crohn’s disease and 123 with ulcerative colitis.Among the patients,61 had indications for immunosuppressive agents use.However,only 21 (34.4%)received immunosuppressive agents.Among the 21 patients,6(37.5%)received a subtherapeutic dose of azathioprine with no attempt to increase the dosage.Of the 20 patients that received immunosuppressive agent treatment longer than 6 mo,15 patients went into remission,four patients were not affected and one relapsed.Among these 20 patients,four patients suffered from myelotoxicity and one suffered from hepatotoxicity.CONCLUSION:Immunosuppressive agents are used less frequently to treat IBD patients from East China compared with Western countries.Monitoring immunosuppressive agent use is recommended to optimize dispensation of drugs for IBD in China.展开更多
Human endogenous retroviruses(HERVs) are retroviruses that infected human genome millions of years ago and have persisted throughout human evolution. About 8% of our genome is composed of HERVs, most of which are nonf...Human endogenous retroviruses(HERVs) are retroviruses that infected human genome millions of years ago and have persisted throughout human evolution. About 8% of our genome is composed of HERVs, most of which are nonfunctional because of epigenetic control or deactivating mutations. However, a correlation between HERVs and human cancer has been described and many tumors, such as melanoma, breast cancer, germ cell tumors, renal cancer or ovarian cancer, express HERV proteins, mainly HERV-K(HML6) and HERV-K(HML2). Although the causative role of HERVs in cancer is controversial, data from animal models demonstrated that endogenous retroviruses are potentially oncogenic. HERV protein expression in human cells generates an immune response by activating innate and adaptive immunities. Some HERV-derived peptides have antigenic properties. For example, HERV-K(HML-6) encodes the HER-K MEL peptide recognized by CD8+ lymphocytes. In addition, HERVs are twoedged immunomodulators. HERVs show immunosuppressive activity. The presence of genomic retroviral elements in host-cell cytosol may activate an interferon type I response. Therefore, targeting HERVs through cellular vaccines or immunomodulatory drugs combined with checkpoint inhibitors is attracting interest because they could be active in human tumors.展开更多
基金Supported by Zhejiang Province Natural Science Foundationof China,R2080029 Caoqian Research Group
文摘AIM:To investigate immunosuppressive agents used to treat inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)in East China. METHODS:A retrospective review was conducted, involving 227 patients with IBD admitted to Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital,College of Medicine,Zhejiang University from June 2000 to December 2007.Data regarding demographic,clinical characteristics and immunosuppressants usage were analyzed. RESULTS:A total of 227 eligible patients were evaluated in this study,including 104 patients with Crohn’s disease and 123 with ulcerative colitis.Among the patients,61 had indications for immunosuppressive agents use.However,only 21 (34.4%)received immunosuppressive agents.Among the 21 patients,6(37.5%)received a subtherapeutic dose of azathioprine with no attempt to increase the dosage.Of the 20 patients that received immunosuppressive agent treatment longer than 6 mo,15 patients went into remission,four patients were not affected and one relapsed.Among these 20 patients,four patients suffered from myelotoxicity and one suffered from hepatotoxicity.CONCLUSION:Immunosuppressive agents are used less frequently to treat IBD patients from East China compared with Western countries.Monitoring immunosuppressive agent use is recommended to optimize dispensation of drugs for IBD in China.
文摘Human endogenous retroviruses(HERVs) are retroviruses that infected human genome millions of years ago and have persisted throughout human evolution. About 8% of our genome is composed of HERVs, most of which are nonfunctional because of epigenetic control or deactivating mutations. However, a correlation between HERVs and human cancer has been described and many tumors, such as melanoma, breast cancer, germ cell tumors, renal cancer or ovarian cancer, express HERV proteins, mainly HERV-K(HML6) and HERV-K(HML2). Although the causative role of HERVs in cancer is controversial, data from animal models demonstrated that endogenous retroviruses are potentially oncogenic. HERV protein expression in human cells generates an immune response by activating innate and adaptive immunities. Some HERV-derived peptides have antigenic properties. For example, HERV-K(HML-6) encodes the HER-K MEL peptide recognized by CD8+ lymphocytes. In addition, HERVs are twoedged immunomodulators. HERVs show immunosuppressive activity. The presence of genomic retroviral elements in host-cell cytosol may activate an interferon type I response. Therefore, targeting HERVs through cellular vaccines or immunomodulatory drugs combined with checkpoint inhibitors is attracting interest because they could be active in human tumors.