Background and ObjectiveTo investigate the physico-chemical properties of hepatitis E virus (HEV) with regard to inactivation/removal, we have studied four isolates with respect to sensitivity to heat during liquid/dry-heating as well as removal by nanofiltration. Materials and MethodsHepatitis E virus in an albumin solution or phosphatebuffered saline (PBS) was liquid-heated at 60 ° C for a preset time. HEV in a freezedried fibrinogen containing stabilizers was also dry-heated at 60 or 80 ° C for a preset time. In addition, to clarify the removal of HEV, the purified virus in PBS was filtered using several types of virus-removal filter (nanofilters) that have different pore sizes. HEV infectivity or genome equivalents before and after the treatments were assayed by a semiquantitative cell-based infectivity assay or quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay, respectively.Results Hepatitis E virus isolates in albumin solutions were inactivated slowly at 60 ° C for 5 h and the resultant log reduction factor (LRF) was from 1·0 to ≥ 2·2, whereas the virus in PBS was inactivated quickly to below the detection limit and the LRF was ≥ 2·4 to ≥ 3·7. The virus in a freeze dried fibrinogen containing trisodium citrate dihydrate and L -arginine hydrochloride as stabilizers was inactivated slowly and the LRF was 2·0 and 3·0, respectively, of the 72 h at 60 ° C, but inactivated to below the detection limit within 24 h at 80 ° C with an LRF of ≥ 4·0. The virus in PBS was also confirmed as to be approximately 35 nm in diameter by nanofiltration. These results are useful for evaluating viral safety against HEV contamination in blood products. ConclusionThe sensitivity of HEV to heat was shown to vary greatly depending on the heating conditions. On the other hand, the HEV particles were completely removed using 20-nm nanofilters. However, each inactivation/removal step should be carefully evaluated with respect to the HEV inactivation/removal capacity, which may be influenced by processing conditions such as the stabilizers used for blood products.

Our findings support the hypothesis that Ikaros might participate in mucocutaneous inflammation.

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In our chromosome study of 97 patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), six showed an unbalanced translocation between chromosomes 1 and 7 [-7, +der(1)t(1;7)(p11;p11)]. All of them had morphologic myelodysplasia in trilineage of bone marrow cells, and cytopenia was the major finding in the peripheral blood. All six patients had symptoms of infection at the time of diagnosis, and five showed immunologic abnormalities (polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia in four and increased marrow plasma cells in three). None of the patients survived more than 11 months after the diagnosis; the median survival time was 4 months. Both of the two patients whose karyotypes were reexamined in the course of their disease showed karyotypic evolution accompanying the coincidental leukemic transformation. Six patients with MDS who had the same chromosome abnormality [t(1;7)] are described and their characteristic clinical features are presented.

ObjectivesStevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are acute inflammatory vesiculobullous reactions of the skin and mucosa such as the ocular surface, oral cavity and genitals. Severe ocular complications (SOC) arise in some patients with SJS/TEN diagnosed by dermatologists. To investigate the pathophysiology of ocular surface inflammation in SJS/TEN with SOC in the chronic stage, we examined cytokines in the tears of patients with ocular surface diseases and healthy controls.ParticipantsSJS/TEN eyes in the chronic stage (n>30), healthy eyes (n>20, controls) and eyes (n>20) from patients with atopic keratoconjunctivitis representing different ocular surface inflammatory disorders.Primary outcome measuresTear samples were collected on Schirmer's measurement strips. To measure the level of various cytokines in the tears we used BD CBA Flex sets.Study designAn observational study (case–control study).ResultsWe recorded the level of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, eotaxin, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1β, RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted), interferon gamma (IFN)-γ, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, IFN-γ-induced protein 10 (IP-10) and total IgE. We found that compared with the controls, in SJS/TEN with SOC, IL-6, IL-8, eotaxin and MIP-1β were significantly upregulated while IP-10 was significantly downregulated. Compared with atopic keratoconjunctivitis, IP-10 was significantly downregulated in SJS/TEN with SOC; on the other hand, total IgE was significantly upregulated in atopic keratoconjunctivitis compared with SJS/TEN with SOC.ConclusionsIP-10 in tears may be a biomarker to distinguish between chronic SJS/TEN with SOC and other ocular inflammatory disorders such as atopic keratoconjunctivitis.