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// Yu-Jie Wang 1,2,* , Lin Li 1,4,* , Wei-Juan Song 3,* , Yan-Jun Zhou 1 , Meng-Da Cao 1 , Xiang-Rong Zuo 1,2 and Ji-Fu Wei 1 1 Research Division of Clinical Pharmacology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China 2 Department of Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China 3 Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China 4 Department of Emergency Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China * These authors have contributed equally to this article Correspondence to: Xiang-Rong Zuo, email: // Ji-Fu Wei, email: // Keywords : Can f 6, dog allergy, epitopes, allergenicity, Chinese children, Immunology and Microbiology Section, Immune response, Immunity Received : July 07, 2017 Accepted : September 20, 2017 Published : October 13, 2017 Abstract Dog allergy is common worldwide. However, the allergenicity of dog allergy is still unclear in China as well as in special group, such as children. In this study, we chose Can f 6, a major dog allergen which belongs to the lipocalin to study its allergenicity in Chinese dog allergic children. Can f 6 gene was subcloned into pET-28a vector and transformed into E. coli BL21 (DE3) cells for expression. The recombinant Can f 6 was purified by nickel affinity chromatography, identified by SDS-PAGE, and tested for its allergenicity by Western blot with sera and basophil activation test. Secondary structures, B cell epitopes and homology modeling of Can f 6 were predicted by using a series of bioinformatical approaches. And the verification of B cell epitopes was detected by ELISA. The recombinant allergen showed an explicit band with the molecular weight of 20 kDa by SDS-PAGE. Sera from 56.3 % (18/32) of dog-allergic children patients reacted with Can f 6. The induction of the expression of CD63 and CCR3 of dog allergic children in passively sensitized basophils was up to approximately 5.0 times higher than healthy subjects. The secondary structure of Can f 6 contains 3 α-helices, 9 β-sheets and random coils. Five B cell epitopes of Can f 6 were predicted and were confirmed successfully by ELISA. The results showed Can f 6 is a major allergen in Chinese children, which provides a basis for further study of Can f 6 in diagnosis and treatment of symptoms in children in China. The structural information of Can f 6 will help to form a foundation for the future design of vaccines and therapies for Can f 6 related allergies.

To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) in China.A total of 161 patients diagnosed as IPAH in Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital from June 2008 to June 2010 were retrospective analyzed.The mean diagnostic age was (33 ± 15) years old and 70.2% patients were female. The median duration from symptoms onset to diagnostic right heart catheterization was 12 months. Incidence of NYHA class III to IV was 56.5% at diagnosis and the mean six minutes walk distance was limited to (398 ± 108) meters. Incidence of mild obstructive, restrictive and diffusing impairment in pulmonary function test was 7.8%, 42.2% and 82.2% patients with IPAH, respectively. Right heart catheterization demonstrated severe elevated mean pulmonary arterial pressure [(63 ± 17) mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa)] and pulmonary vascular resistance index [(25 ± 12) Wood U/m(2)] in this patient cohort. The response rate of acute pulmonary vasoreactivity testing was 8.7% in this cohort. Compared with non-responders, responders to acute pulmonary vasoreactivity testing were younger and with less severe pulmonary hypertension. Among non-responders, 89% patients were treated by one specific anti-pulmonary arterial hypertension drug and 27% patients received combined anti-pulmonary arterial hypertension medications.Young female was predominantly involved in patients with IPAH in China. The diagnosis of IPAH is often made at advanced disease stage and majority patients with IPAH received specific anti-pulmonary arterial hypertension therapies in this patient cohort.

To observe the effect of combination of nitric oxide (NO) inhalation and inverse ratio ventilation (IRV) on oxygenation and hemodynamics in endotoxin-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in sheep.Sheep ARDS model was induced by an intravenous infusion of low dose endotoxin, and then animals were randomly divided into two groups. (1) NO group (n=6), inhalation of 40x10(-6) nitric oxide. (2) Combination group (n=6), receiving mechanical ventilation with IRV (inspiratory-to-expiratory ratio of 2:1) and inhalation of 40x10(-6) NO. The dynamic changes in gas exchange and hemodynamics were measured with the aid of Swan-Ganz catheter and arterial blood gas analysis before and after the onset of, ARDS and 30 minutes after treatment.The combination of IRV and 40x10(-6) NO inhalation rapidly reduced mean pulmonary arterial pressure (MPAP), increased PaO(2), decreased P((A-a))O(2), and Qs/Qt without inducing significant change in systemic hemodynamics, and it was a more effective method of correcting hypoxemia than inhalation of nitric oxide alone. NO inhalation did not change the airway pressure of the model, but the combined treatment resulted in reduction of peak inspiratory pressure and increase of mean airway pressure.The combined use of IRV and NO inhalation has an additive effect on improving oxygenation in endotoxin-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome in sheep.