CCL18 from tumor-associated macrophages promotes angiogenesis in breast cancer CCL18 from tumor-associated macrophages promotes angiogenesis in breast cancer

Summary. Recently, we studied hepatitis C virus (HCV) sera-prevalence among 559 890 first-time volunteer blood donors in China. From randomly selected 450 anti-HCV positive donors, we detected HCV RNA in 270 donors. In this study, we amplified HCV E1 and/or NS5B sequences from 236 of these donors followed by DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The results indicate new trends of HCV infection in China. The HCV genotype distribution differed according to the donors’ region of origin. Among donors from Guangdong province, we detected subtypes 6a, 1b, 3a, 3b, 2a, and 1a at frequencies of 49.7%, 31.0%, 7.6%, 5.5%, 4.1%, and 2.1%, respectively. Among donors from outside Guangdong, we detected 1b, 2a, 6a, 3b, 3a, 6e, and 6n at frequencies 57.1%, 13.2%, 11.0%, 9.9%, 4.4%, 2.2%, and 2.2%, respectively. Although we found no significant differences among regions in age or gender, subtype 6a was more common (P < 0.001) in donors from Guangdong than those from elsewhere, whilst subtypes 1b (P < 0.02) and 2a (P < 0.001) were more frequent outside Guangdong. Disregarding origins, the male/female ratio was higher for subtype 6a-infected donors (P < 0.05) than for subtype 1b donors, whilst the mean age of subtype 2a donors was 8–10 years older (P < 0.05) than that for all other subtypes. Detailed phylogenetic analysis of our sequence data provides further insight into the transmission of HCV within China, and between China and other countries. The predominance of HCV 6a among blood donors in Guangdong is striking and mandates studies into risk factors for its acquisition.

In China, high prevalence of HBV and HCV parallels with the growing epidemic of syphilis and HIV in the general population poses a great threat to blood safety. This study investigated the prevalence of serologic markers for transfusion transmissible infections (TTIs) among four Chinese blood centers.

CD36 (also known as GPIV) deficiency is known to be responsible for the production of anti-Nak^a antibodies in different clinical settings such as fetal/neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT), platelet transfusion refractoriness (PTR) and post-transfusion purpura (PTP). However, no data regarding the relevance of CD36 immunisation is currently available for China. In this study, healthy blood donors were typed for CD36 deficiency using flow cytometry. Nucleotide sequencing was performed to identify the molecular basis underlying the CD36 deficiency. Anti-Nak^a antibodies in CD36-deficient individuals were analysed by ELISA and flow cytometry. By analysis of 998 healthy blood donors, 18 individuals failed to express CD36 on their platelets. In 5/12 individuals no CD36 expression was detected both on platelets and monocytes. This result suggested that the frequencies of type I CD36 deficiency (platelets and monocytes) and type II CD36 deficiency (platelets only) are approximately 0.5 and 1.3%, respectively. Nucleotide sequencing analysis of type I CD36 deficient individuals revealed eight different mutations; four of them were not described so far. However, 1228–1239de/ ATTGTGCCTATT and 329–330de/AC appear to be the most common mutations related to type I CD36 deficiency in South Chinese population. Further analysis showed that 1/5 type I CD36 deficient individuals developed anti-Nak^a antibodies. In addition, anti-Nak^a antibodies could be identified in two cases of thrombocytopenia associated with FNAIT and PTR. In conclusion, more than 0.5% of CD36 type I-deficient individuals are at risk to be immunised through blood transfusion or pregnancy in China. Testing of anti-Nak^a antibodies should be considered in FNAIT and PTR suspected cases. A registry of CD36-deficient donors should be established to allow treatment of immune-mediated bleeding disorders caused by anti-Nak^a antibodies.