ORAI3 contributes to hypoxia-inducible factor 1/2α-sensitive colon cell migration

BACKGROUND

Hypoxia is a pivotal initiator of tumor angiogenesis and growth through the stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs). This study set out to examine the involvement of HIF-1α and HIF-2α in colon cancer and ascertained whether ORAI3 was involved in the pathway.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients and murine models as well as human colorectal adenocarcinoma tumor (CW2) cells were included to examine the levels of ORAI1/3 and HIF-1/2α levels. Calcium imaging was utilized to ascertain the activity of calcium channel. Scratch assay was used to assess the migration capacity of the cells.

RESULTS

Tumors from murine colon cancer xenograft models and patients with colon cancer displayed high ORAI1/3 and HIF-1/2α levels. Hypoxia treatment, mimicking the tumor microenvironment in vitro, increased ORAI1/3 and HIF-1/2α expression as well as store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE). Of note is that HIF-1/2α silencing decreased SOCE, and HIF-1/2α overexpression facilitated SOCE. Furthermore, ORAI3 rather than ORAI1 expression was inhibited by HIF-1/2α silencing while increased by ML228. Luciferase assay also confirmed that ORAI3 was elevated in the presence of ML228, indicating the linkage between HIF-1/2α and ORAI3. Additionally, colony-forming potential and cell migration capacity were decreased in siHIF-1α and siHIF-2α as well as siORAI3 cells, and the facilitating effect of ML228 on cell migration and colony-forming potential was also decreased in siORAI3 CW-2 cells, which points out the importance of ORAI3 in HIF1/2α pathway.

CONCLUSION

Our findings allow to conclude that both HIF-1α and HIF-2α facilitate ORAI3 expression, hence enhancing colon cancer progression.

Histone citrullination: a new target for tumors

As the main protein components of chromatin, histones play central roles in gene regulation as spools of winding DNA. Histones are subject to various modifications, including phosphorylation, acetylation, glycosylation, methylation, ubiquitination and citrullination, which affect gene transcription. Histone citrullination, a posttranscriptional modification catalyzed by peptidyl arginine deiminase (PAD) enzymes, is involved in human carcinogenesis. In this study, we highlighted the functions of histone citrullination in physiological regulation and tumors. Additionally, because histone citrullination involves forming neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), the relationship between NETs and tumors was illustrated. Finally, the clinical application of histone citrullination and PAD inhibitors was discussed.

POS0228 BASELINE CHARACTERISTICS AND TREATMENT RESPONSE TO IXEKIZUMAB CATEGORISED BY SEX IN RADIOGRAPHIC AND NON-RADIOGRAPHIC AXIAL SPONDYLARTHRITIS PATIENTS THROUGH 52 WEEKS: DATA FROM 3 PHASE III, RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIALS

Background:

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the axial skeleton comprising two subtypes within the same spectrum: radiographic (r-axSpA) and non-radiographic (nr-axSpA). Previous studies have shown that clinical presentation and treatment response of males and females may differ1 despite similar disease burden.2 Ixekizumab (IXE), a high-affinity monoclonal antibody that selectively targets interleukin-17A, has demonstrated superior efficacy to placebo in the treatment of patients with r-axSpA (COAST-V/W [bDMARD- naïve/TNFi-experienced]) and nr-axSpA (COAST-X [bDMARD-naïve]).3

Objectives:

Assess baseline characteristics and treatment response to IXE categorised by sex in patients with r-axSpA and nr-axSpA for up to 52 weeks.

Methods:

Patients fulfilled the ASAS classification criteria for r-axSpA or nr-axSpA. Patients were randomized to receive 80 mg subcutaneous IXE every 2 weeks (Q2W) or 4 weeks (Q4W), or to placebo (PBO) [16 weeks COAST-V/W; 52 weeks COAST-X]. Baseline characteristics and treatment outcomes were assessed. Patients were categorised by sex, missing data was controlled for using non-responder imputation (NRI) and modified baseline observation carried forward (mBOCF) analysis was conducted on continuous efficacy variables.

Results:

At baseline, females were older, with significantly higher pain and fatigue scores and peripheral joint symptoms (table 1). ASAS40 response rate with IXEQ4W was achieved in 39% of males with r-axSpA by week 16, and 44% by week 52. Females achieved 16.7% at week 16, and 33.3% at week 52. In nr-axSpA, 46% of IXEQ4W males achieved ASAS40 at week 16 and 30% at week 52. 23.9% of females achieved ASAS40 at week 16, increasing to 30.4% at week 52.

Table 1.

Baseline Characteristics of Patients Categorised by Sex

Patients with r-axSpA(COAST-V/W)(n=376)Patients with nr-axSpA(COAST-X)(n=198)CharacteristicMale (n=298)Female (n=78)p valueMale (n=99)Female (n=99)p valueAge at onset (yrs), mean (SD)26.5 (8.7)30.1 (10.1)0.002*27.9 (7.7)32.0 (10.7)0.002*Symptom duration (yrs), mean (SD)16.7 (10.5)17.8 (12.2)0.4209.5 (9.2)12.3 (11.3)0.057ASDAS, mean (SD)4.0 (0.8)3.9 (0.7)0.3043.7 (0.8)3.9 (0.8)0.143BASDAI, mean (SD)7.10 (1.4)7.4 (1.5)0.1796.9 (1.4)7.4 1.4)0.013*Fatigue/tiredness (BASDAI Q1), mean (SD)7.4 (1.6)7.8 (1.5)0.036*7.0 (1.6)7.9 (1.5)<0.001*Spinal pain (BASDAI Q2), mean (SD)7.9 (1.5)8.0 (1.5)0.6827.5 (1.4)7.9 (1.5)0.029*Pain/swelling in other joints (BASDAI Q3), mean (SD)6.5 (2.1)6.9 (2.2)0.1296.6 (2.3)7.2 (1.9)0.039*Tenderness to touch/pressure (BASDAI Q4), mean (SD)6.8 (1.8)7.0 (1.9)0.3396.6 (1.9)6.8 (1.8)0.404Morning stiffness (BASDAI Q5), mean (SD)7.5 (1.6)7.7 (1.8)0.5047.3 (1.7)7.7 (1.9)0.137Morning stiffness duration (BASDAI Q6), mean (SD)6.5 (2.3)6.5 (2.8)0.9446.3 (2.3)6.6 (2.5)0.392Spinal pain at night NRS, mean (SD)7.4 (1.5)7.8 (1.7)0.033*7.0 (1.8)7.6 (1.8)0.027*BASFI, mean (SD)6.8 (1.8)7.0 (2.0)0.4666.2 (1.8)6.7 (2.1)0.108SF-36 PCS, mean (SD)30.9 (8.3)28.9 (8.2)0.07533.1 (7.7)32.1 (7.2)0.348

p-value from Fisher’s exact test analysis of variance (ANOVA) with sex as a factor for continuous data. Data includes pooled IXEQ2W and IXEQ4W.

Conclusion:

This analysis demonstrates that for the axSpA disease spectrum, females present with higher disease burden as reflected by higher scores in fatigue/tiredness, and spinal pain at night. Our findings indicate that males and females respond to IXE; however, females experience this benefit later in their treatment course, with a more prolonged attainment of peak response.

References:

[1]van der Horst-Bruinsma IE, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2019;78:1550-1558.

[2]Zhao SS, et al. Rheumatology. 2019;58:2025-2030.

[3]Deodhar A, et al. Lancet. 2020;395:53-64.

Figure 1.

COAST-V/W ASAS40 (ITT, NRI) Patients initially randomized to PBO in COAST-V/W switched to IXEQ2W or Q4W at week 16 by study design; PBO data are summarised up to week 16.

Acknowledgements:

Writing support was provided by Dr Geraldine Fahy, an employee of Eli Lilly and Company

Disclosure of Interests:

Irene van der Horst-Bruinsma Speakers bureau: BMS, AbbVie, Pfizer, UCB, MSD, Consultant of: Abbvie, UCB, MSD, Lilly, Novartis, Grant/research support from: MSD, Pfizer, AbbVie, Rebecca Bolce Shareholder of: Eli Lilly, Employee of: Eli Lilly, Theresa Hunter Shareholder of: Eli Lilly, Employee of: Eli Lilly, David Sandoval Shareholder of: Eli Lilly, Employee of: Eli Lilly, Danting Zhu Employee of: Eli Lilly, Vladimir J. Geneus Employee of: Eli Lilly, Jeffrey Lisse Shareholder of: Eli Lilly, Employee of: Eli Lilly, Soyi Liu Leage Shareholder of: Eli Lilly, Employee of: Eli Lilly, Marina Magrey Consultant of: Novartis, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Abbvie, UCB and Jansen, Grant/research support from: Amgen, AbbVie, and UCB Pharma

Impact of mutant IDH (mIDH) inhibition on DNA hydroxymethylation, tumor cell function, and tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) in resected mIDH1 lower-grade glioma (LGG)

2008

Background: Somatic mutations in IDH1 and IDH2 occur in ̃80% and ̃4% of LGGs, respectively, promoting tumorigenesis via increased levels of the oncometabolite D-2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG). Vorasidenib (VOR; AG-881) is an oral, brain-penetrant, dual inhibitor of mIDH1/2; ivosidenib (IVO; AG-120) is a first-in-class oral inhibitor of mIDH1. In this ongoing perioperative study, treatment with IVO/VOR reduced 2-HG levels in resected tumors vs untreated control tumors in patients (pts) with LGG (NCT03343197; Mellinghoff SNO 2019). We assessed the biological impact of 2-HG suppression on tumors and TIME. Methods: Pts (n = 49) with recurrent, non-enhancing, mIDH1-R132H LGG eligible for resection were randomized to IVO (500 mg QD/250 mg BID), VOR (10/50 mg QD), or no treatment, for 4 weeks preoperatively. Tumor tissue samples collected at surgery were assessed in genomic (n = 42), transcriptomic (n = 42), and immunohistochemistry (IHC; n = 43) analyses. Unpaired t-test was used for statistical comparisons. Results: Optimal 2-HG suppression (post-treatment 2-HG below the upper limit of 2-HG levels in a reference set of 15 wild-type [wt] IDH samples) was observed in 23 of 40 pts, including 9 (90%) pts receiving VOR 50 mg QD and 6 (50%) receiving IVO 500 mg QD. Of samples with valid biomarker data, those with optimal 2-HG suppression (n = 21) showed upregulation of neural differentiation-related gene expression, but downregulation of stemness-related gene expression, vs those with suboptimal 2-HG suppression (post-treatment 2-HG above upper limit of wt IDH 2-HG levels; n = 17; p < 0.01). IHC analysis of the proliferation marker Ki-67 showed a ̃2-fold decrease in Ki-67–positive cells in samples with optimal 2-HG suppression (mean 2.7%; n = 22) vs those with suboptimal suppression (5.8%; n = 16; p < 0.05). Epigenetic analysis revealed a ̃2-fold increase in mean 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) levels in samples with optimal (0.36%; n = 17) vs suboptimal 2-HG suppression (0.2%; n = 15; p < 0.05), suggesting reversal of TET2 inhibition. IHC analysis of TIME revealed increases in mean CD3+ and CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte levels in samples with optimal (1.05% [CD3]/0.22% [CD8]; n = 22) vs suboptimal 2-HG suppression (0.44% [CD3]/0.07% [CD8]; n = 16; p < 0.05). Optimal 2-HG suppression was associated with upregulation of gene expression related to type I interferon signaling and antigen presentation (p < 0.01). Conclusions: These data suggest that both tumor-intrinsic and -extrinsic mechanisms underlie 2-HG suppression by VOR and IVO. VOR, and IVO to a lesser extent, increased 5hmC, promoted cellular differentiation, and inhibited tumor cell proliferation; both also increased T-cell infiltration, activated interferon signaling, and increased antigen presentation capability. These data support development of VOR in combination with immunotherapy. Clinical trial information: NCT03343197.

Can perihaematomal radiomics features predict haematoma expansion?

AIM

To evaluate the association between perihaematomal radiomics features and haematoma expansion (HE).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Clinical and radiological data were collected retrospectively. The 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) method was used to balance the difference of baseline characteristics between patients with and without HE. Radiomics features were extracted from the intra- and perihaematomal regions. Top HE-associated features were selected using the minimum redundancy, maximum relevancy algorithm. Support vector machine models were used to predict HE. Predictive performance of radiomics features from different regions was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve and confusion matrix-derived metrics.

RESULTS

A total of 1,062 patients were enrolled. After PSM analysis, the propensity score-matched cohort (PSM cohort) included 314 patients (HE: n=157; non-HE: n=157). The PSM cohort was distributed into the training (n=218) and the validation cohorts (n=96). The predictive performance of intra- and perihaematomal features were comparable in the training (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC], 0.751 versus 0.757; p=0.867) and the validation cohorts (AUC, 0.724 versus 0.671; p=0.454). By incorporating intra- and perihaematomal features, the combined model outperformed the single intrahaematomal model in the training cohort (AUC, 0.872 versus 0.751; p<0.001). Decision curve analysis (DCA) further confirmed the clinical usefulness of the combined model.

CONCLUSION

Perihaematomal radiomics features can predict HE. The integration of intra- and perihaematomal signatures may provide additional benefit to the prediction of HE.

EZH2-mediated H3K27me3 enrichment on the lncRNA MEG3 promoter regulates the growth and metastasis of glioma cells by regulating miR-21-3p

OBJECTIVE

Glioma is one of the most common and invasive brain tumors worldwide. Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) play an important role in the development of glioma. However, the regulatory mechanism of LncRNAs in glioma has not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to explore the interaction of lncRNA maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) and aberrant histone modification in glioma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The expression levels of MEG3 and miR-21-3p in glioma cells were measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). EZH2 (enhancer of zeste homolog 2) and H3K27me3 expression in glioma cells were detected by Western Blot (WB). The binding site of the promoter of MEG3 by H3K27me3 was confirmed by ChIP-Real-time PCR. The direct target of MEG3 and miR-21-3p in glioma cells was measured by a luciferase reporter assay. Cell proliferation was detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8), and cell invasion and migration were measured by Transwell assays.

RESULTS

EZH2 and miR-21-3p were upregulated and MEG3 was downregulated in glioma cells. Silencing of EZH2 inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in U87 and U251 cells. Meanwhile, the expression of H3K27me3 could be significantly inhibited by EZH2 interference. H3K27me3 protein can bind to MEG3 promoter directly. EZH2 inhibition and MEG3 down-expression in U87 cells reversed the effects of silencing of EZH2 on glioma cell growth and metastasis. However, EZH2 inhibition and MEG3 overexpression in U251 cells restricted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Furthermore, miR-21-3p was verified to interact with MEG3 by direct binding. Inhibition of MEG3 promoted U87 cell growth and metastasis, which was further strengthened following the co-transfection of si-MEG3 and miR-21-3p. Overexpressed MEG3 inhibited U251 cell growth and metastasis and a complete reversal of the results observed in the co-transfection of LV-MEG3 and miR-21-3p.

CONCLUSIONS

EZH2 was highly expressed in glioma cells and EZH2-mediated H3K27me3 enrichment on the MEG3 promoter regulated the growth and metastasis of glioma cells by targeting miR-21-3p. It potentially provided a new therapeutic marker targeting glioma.

Strongly correlated superconductivity in a copper-based metal-organic framework with a perfect kagome lattice

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which are self-assemblies of metal ions and organic ligands, provide a tunable platform to search a new state of matter. A two-dimensional (2D) perfect kagome lattice, whose geometrical frustration is a key to realizing quantum spin liquids, has been formed in the π - d conjugated 2D MOF [Cu₃(C₆S₆)] _n (Cu-BHT). The recent discovery of its superconductivity with a critical temperature T _c of 0.25 kelvin raises fundamental questions about the nature of electron pairing. Here, we show that Cu-BHT is a strongly correlated unconventional superconductor with extremely low superfluid density. A nonexponential temperature dependence of superfluid density is observed, indicating the possible presence of superconducting gap nodes. The magnitude of superfluid density is much smaller than those in conventional superconductors and follows the Uemura's relation of strongly correlated superconductors. These results imply that the unconventional superconductivity in Cu-BHT originates from electron correlations related to spin fluctuations of kagome lattice.

Successive Detection of Zinc Ion and Citrate Using a Schiff Base Chemosensor for Enhanced Prostate Cancer Diagnosis in Biosystems

Sensitive and quantitative detection of prostate cancer (PC) requires a chemosensor with an applicable sensing strategy. A star-shaped Schiff base triaminoguanidine-integrated thiophene fluorophore TAT was rationally designed with nitrogen and sulfur atoms to coordinate with Zn²⁺ as the initial step and to chelate with citrate as the following step. Formation of the complex TAT-Zn²⁺ induced an intramolecular charge transfer and caused a red-shifted, Zn²⁺ concentration-dependent fluorescence at 507 nm. Chelation of TAT-Zn²⁺ with citrate led to an emission band at 692 nm upon an aggregation-induced emission mechanism. The distinctive fluorescence emissions of Zn²⁺ and citrate biomarkers were demonstrated first in on-site paper-based test strips showing gradually enhanced colors at yellow and red channels and second in both in vitro and in vivo by using PC3 cells and BALB/c nude mouse animal models, respectively. The in vitro test confirmed the mitochondria organelle-targeting property of TAT, and the in vivo performance manifested the successful application of the probe in recognizing the prostate cancer. This is the first applicable chemosensor that could be in continuous recognition of dual PC biomarkers Zn²⁺ and citrate in cancer diagnosis with a mitochondria organelle-targeting ability.

Single-photon detection in the mid-infrared up to 10 μm wavelength using tungsten silicide superconducting nanowire detectors

We developed superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors based on tungsten silicide, which show saturated internal detection efficiency up to a wavelength of 10 μm. These detectors are promising for applications in the mid-infrared requiring sub-nanosecond timing, ultra-high gain stability, low dark counts, and high efficiency, such as chemical sensing, LIDAR, dark matter searches, and exoplanet spectroscopy.

N-Aryl glycines as versatile initiators for various polymerizations

N-(1-Pyrenyl)glycine can act as a versatile initiator for various polymerizations.

Granulocytic Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cell Exosomal Prostaglandin E2 Ameliorates Collagen-Induced Arthritis by Enhancing IL-10+ B Cells

The results of recent studies have shown that granulocytic-myeloid derived suppressor cells (G-MDSCs) can secrete exosomes that transport various biologically active molecules with regulatory effects on immune cells. However, their roles in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis remain to be further elucidated. In the present study, we investigated the influence of exosomes from G-MDSCs on the humoral immune response in murine collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). G-MDSCs exosomes-treated mice showed lower arthritis index values and decreased inflammatory cell infiltration. Treatment with G-MDSCs exosomes promoted splenic B cells to secrete IL-10 both in vivo and in vitro. In addition, a decrease in the proportion of plasma cells and follicular helper T cells was observed in drainage lymph nodes from G-MDSCs exosomes-treated mice. Moreover, lower serum levels of IgG were detected in G-MDSCs exosomes-treated mice, indicating an alteration of the humoral environment. Mechanistic studies showed that exosomal prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) produced by G-MDSCs upregulated the phosphorylation levels of GSK-3β and CREB, which play a key role in the production of IL-10⁺ B cells. Taken together, our findings demonstrated that G-MDSC exosomal PGE2 attenuates CIA in mice by promoting the generation of IL-10⁺ Breg cells.

Necrotizing lymphadenitis : A case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Necrotizing lymphadenitis is a rare disease. It is often misdiagnosed because of the lack of typical clinical manifestations. It is worth noting that necrotizing lymphadenitis may be a precursor lesion of systemic lupus erythematosus or tumours, so regular follow-up is needed to facilitate early diagnosis. Here, we report a case and conduct a literature analysis summarizing the clinical features of necrotizing lymphadenitis and its treatment and management practices.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 16-year-old young woman presented with fever and lymphadenopathy as the main clinical manifestations, accompanied by a rash during fever that disappeared as the fever subsided. After completing imaging and laboratory examinations, we excluded other diseases such as infections, autoimmune diseases, and malignant tumours. Finally, we diagnosed the patient with necrotizing lymphadenitis based on the results of lymph node biopsy. The symptoms of the patient improved after glucocorticoid treatment, and she was followed up for half a year without recurrence of symptoms.

CONCLUSION

In the clinic, young women with fever and lymphadenopathy as major symptoms should be screened for necrotizing lymphadenitis to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment. Although necrotizing lymphadenitis is self-limiting, its clinical manifestations are similar to those of many diseases. Therefore, it is easily misdiagnosed. An in-depth understanding of the disease is conducive to early diagnosis and treatment in the clinic, thereby reducing further damage to the body and reducing unnecessary evaluation and treatment.

[Analysis of clinical characteristics and drug treatment of inflammatory bowel disease in children: a single center study]

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics and efficacy of drug treatment in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) at different ages of onset. Methods: The clinical data of 87 children with IBD admitted to Department of Gastroenterology in Children's Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics from January 2009 to December 2018 were collected. The patients were divided into four groups according to the age of onset: 0 -<2 years old group (36 cases), 2 -<6 years old group (10 cases), 6 -<10 years old group (12 cases) and 10 -<18 years old group (29 cases). The clinical manifestations, laboratory examination, endoscopic findings, pathologic and genetic changes, and treatment were compared among different age groups with chi-square test or Fisher's exact text. Results: (1) A total of 87 patients were diagnosed with IBD, including 50 Crohn's disease (CD) (57%), 25 ulcerative colitis (UC) (29%) and 12 unclassified inflammatory bowel disease (IBD-U) (14%). (2) Patients with fever accounted for 78% (28/36) and 8/10 in the 0 -<2 years old group and 2 -<6 years old group, respectively. Patients with abdominal pain and perianal diseases accounted for 6% (2/36) and 47% (17/36) in the 0 -<2 years old group, and their proportions were significantly different among the four groups (χ(2)=8.369, 40.317 and 13.130, all P<0.05). (3) Leukocytosis, thrombocytosis and anemia were more common in the 0-<2 years old group, seen in 72% (26/36), 31% (11/36) and 81% (29/36), respectively. There were significant differences in the changes of complete blood count among the four groups (χ(2)=21.919, 8.095 and 11.520, all P<0.05). (4) Colonic involvement accounted for 85% (17/20) in the 0 -<2 years old CD patients. While in the CD patients over 6 years old, 61% (14/23) had inflammation of ileum and colon, with a significant difference compared to that in patients under 6 years old (19% (5/27) , χ(2)=9.455, P=0.003). Also, the location of bowel inflammation among the four groups were significantly different (χ(2)=21.120, P<0.01). (5) Noncaseating granulomas were found in 15 (30%) CD patients, and crypt abscess was found in 11 (44%) UC patients. (6) Among the 24 patients whose genes were analyzed by high throughput sequencing, 12 had pathogenic single gene mutation. (7) There were 25 patients treated with total enteral nutrition. Among the 25 patients treated with thalidomide, 20 (80%) had clinical remission or partial remission. Among the 19 CD patients treated with infliximab (IFX), 14 had clinical remission at the 6(th) week of treatment, and the proportion of remission maintenance at the 30(th) week of treatment was 12/14. (8) The rate of clinical remission or partial remission was 64% (23/36) in the 0 -<2 years old group, 8/10 in the 2 -<6 years old group, 11/12 in the 6 -<10 years old group, and 83% (24/29) in the 10 -<18 years old group. Conclusions: The proportion of CD was higher than that of UC in this study. Infant onset inflammatory bowel disease was more likely to present with perianal lesions, and was usually associated with leukocytosis, thrombocytosis and anemia, and has high possibility of single gene mutation. IFX may be effective in treating CD.

Effect of age and parity on maternal diastolic function in middle trimester pregnant women with normal left ventricular ejection fraction and potential link of diastolic function to pre-eclampsia

Background

It has been suggested that maternal cardiac adaptations during pregnancy differ between nulliparous and multipara women and also vary according to the age. Impaired cardiac function precedes pre-eclampsia.

Purpose

To evaluate effect of age and parity on maternal cardiac diastolic function in middle trimester among pregnant women with normal left ventricular ejection fraction as well as correlation between impaired diastolic function and pre-eclampsia.

Methods

Pregnant women with singleton pregnancies carried from 13 weeks to 20 weeks and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥50% were identified. Diastolic function parameters were assessed using transthoracic echocardiography. Pre-eclampsia was identified from medical records.

Results

376 pregnant women were included (median age: 30 years; median gestational age: 14 weeks; 171 multiparous women). LVEF was 66%. Impaired cardiac diastolic function was seen in 7.8% of pregnant women &lt;35 years compared with 28.6% of those ≥35 years (p=0.000). ROC curve showed women with maternal age over 32 began to have a higher rate of impaired cardiac diastolic function (AUC=0.704, p=0.000, sensitivity=54.5%, specificity=75.3%). There was no difference in diastolic function indices between maternal women grouped by parity. After adjustment for confounders, maternal age can be independent effect factor of Em declined (P&lt;0.05). Em&lt;13cm/s was significantly associated with pre-eclampsia occurrence (HR 8.56; 95% CI: 3.40–21.57) after adjusting for the confounders.

Conclusion

Maternal age is an independent impact factor for diastolic function decline. There is no difference in cardiac diastolic function between nullipara and multipara. Pre-eclampsia occurrence is significantly higher in patients with diastolic function decline at mid-gestation. The utility of risk stratification using diastolic function at mid-gestation may improve the survival outcomes of pregnant women.

Association between Em and PE risk

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: None

The prokaryotic expression, polyclonal antibody preparation, and subcellular localization of the transmembrane protein NS2A of the duck Tembusu virus

Duck Tembusu virus (DTMUV) is a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA arbovirus, belonging to the genus Flavivirus, the family Flaviviridae. As a transmembrane protein, non-structural protein 2A (NS2A) plays an important role in virion assembly, replication complex and antagonizing host immune response. Since NS2A protein contains many hydrophobic amino acids, it is hard to gain the full-length protein of NS2A for prokaryotic expression. Therefore, to make a deep study, prokaryotic expression and polyclonal antibody preparation of truncated DTMUV NS2A was performed. The truncated NS2A gene (178-450 bp) was obtained, and sub-cloned into the prokaryotic vector pGEX-4T-1 (pGEX-4T-1-NS2A178-450bp). Subsequently, the recombinant GST-NS2A60-150aa protein was successfully expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) with the induction by 0.3 mmol/l isopropyl β-D-thiogalactoside (IPTG) for 6 h at 37°C. The GST-NS2A60-150aa protein was extracted from the gel. The BALB/c mice were immunized with the purified recombinant NS2A protein to prepare polyclonal antibodies against the truncated NS2A protein. The titer of the polyclonal antibodies, determined by ELISA analysis, was 1:128,000. The specificity of the polyclonal antibodies (mPAb-DTMUV-NS2A60-150aa) were verified by Western blot analysis. Furthermore, the indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) was performed to explore the subcellular localization of NS2A. NS2A protein was, in the transfected cells, located mainly around nucleus in the endoplasmatic reticulum. Taken together, our study provided a useful tool for the further exploration of the biological functions and molecular mechanism of DTMUV NS2A. Keywords: duck Tembusu virus; non-structural protein 2A; prokaryotic expression; polyclonal antibodies; subcellular location.

Hyaluronic acid-shelled, peptide drug conjugate-cored nanomedicine for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Peptide-drug conjugate (PDC) is a promising prodrug in drug delivery systems. To fabricate nanostructures with proper molecular design which can self-assemble to spherical morphologies is very important for PDC chemotherapy. In this study, a novel PDC (PDC-DOX₂), in which two doxorubicin (DOX) molecules are conjugated onto a short peptide (KIGLFRWR) with self-assembly function, was designed and synthesized. PDC-DOX₂ with self-assembly properties forms a spherical structure under hydrophobic interaction in water. Hyaluronic acid (HA) was then coated on PDC-DOX₂ micelles to form a HA-shelled, peptide-doxorubicin conjugate-cored nanomedicine (HA@PDC-DOX₂). The amount of HA can regulate the particle size and stabilization of HA@PDC-DOX₂. In addition, HA can actively enhance the targeting effects of PDC-DOX₂ micelles since it can interact with overexpressed receptors in cancer cells. The core-shell structured HA@PDC-DOX₂ nanomedicine showed significantly enhanced potency against hepatocellular carcinoma compared to PDC-DOX₂ micelles as well as free DOX. In this work, a novel PDC which can self-assemble to spherical morphologies and a core-shell structure HA@PDC-DOX₂ nanomedicine are designed and prepared. It provides a convenient strategy for the size control of PDC assemblies and constructs effective PDC-based drug delivery systems for cancer treatment.

Associations between circulating bone-derived hormones lipocalin 2, osteocalcin, and glucose metabolism in acromegaly

PURPOSE

The aim was to examine changes in the bone-derived hormone lipocalin 2 (LCN2) levels in patients with active acromegaly and to investigate the potential roles of LCN2 and osteocalcin in glucose metabolism.

METHODS

We recruited 50 consecutive acromegalic patients. Of those, 39 patients with complete postoperative follow-up data were included. Thirty sex-, age-, and BMI-matched healthy individuals were recruited as normal controls. The pre- and postoperative serum LCN2 and osteocalcin levels were compared. The homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index and secretion [β-cell function (HOMA-β)] were calculated.

RESULTS

Compared with controls, acromegalic subjects had lower LCN2 levels (34.15 ± 9.95 vs 57.50 ± 29.75 ng/mL, P < 0.01) and higher osteocalcin levels (55.45 ± 34.02 vs 19.46 ± 6.69 ng/mL, P < 0.01). Acromegalic patients also had elevated HOMA-IR levels, and the HOMA-β and the area under the curve for insulin (AUC INS) levels were slightly but nonsignificantly increased. The serum levels of LCN2 significantly increased after surgery (37.03 ± 9.73 vs 45.15 ± 15.33 ng/mL, P < 0.05), and those of osteocalcin significantly decreased [43.51 (26.73-65.66) vs 24.79 (18.39-32.59) ng/mL, P < 0.01]. Total lean mass was the only positive predictor of LCN2, and elevated serum IGF-I was a positive predictor of osteocalcin. Low LCN2 and elevated serum osteocalcin levels were predictors of the AUC INS, and osteocalcin was a positive predictor of HOMA-β.

CONCLUSION

The bone-derived hormones, osteocalcin and LCN2 changed significantly in active acromegaly, were altered after treatment and served as predictors of β-cell function in acromegaly. This study shows that the bone could be involved in regulating glucose metabolism in acromegaly.

Abstract 2046: Inhibiting IDH mutations in low-grade glioma alters cellular function and the immune environment

Somatic mutations in the genes encoding the metabolic enzymes isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) 1 and 2 occur in many cancers, including glioma, cholangiocarcinoma, and acute myeloid leukemia. Mutant IDH (mIDH) proteins have a gain-of-function enzyme activity, catalyzing the reduction of alpha-ketoglutarate (α-KG) to the oncometabolite D-2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG). 2-HG competitively inhibits α-KG-dependent enzymes, leading to epigenetic dysregulation and tumorigenesis. TET2 is an α-KG-dependent enzyme mediating the conversion of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), which leads to DNA demethylation. In mIDH tumors, TET2 activity is inhibited by 2-HG, leading to DNA hypermethylation. In addition, IDH mutations are associated with immune evasion in gliomas. IDH mutations are common in low-grade gliomas (LGG; WHO grade 2/3) and include mutations in IDH1 (~80%) and IDH2 (~4%). Ivosidenib (AG-120, IVO) is a first-in-class, oral inhibitor of mIDH1, and vorasidenib (AG-881, VOR) is an oral, potent, brain-penetrant inhibitor of both mIDH1 and mIDH2. In an ongoing perioperative study (NCT03343197), IVO and VOR demonstrated brain penetrance and &gt;90% suppression of 2-HG in resected mIDH1 gliomas after pre-operative treatment for approximately 4 weeks. In this analysis, we examined the cellular mechanisms underlying mIDH inhibition in LGG using resected tumor tissues collected following treatment with IVO and VOR. Optimal 2-HG suppression (defined by post-treatment 2-HG levels equal to or lower than the upper range of IDH wild-type tumor 2-HG levels) in IVO- or VOR-treated samples (n=17) led to a ~2-fold increase in 5hmC compared with untreated controls and banked reference samples (n=35; P=0.04). Furthermore, immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis of the proliferation marker Ki-67 showed a ~3-fold decrease in the percentage of Ki-67-positive cells in IVO- or VOR-treated samples with optimal 2-HG suppression (n=21) compared with untreated controls (n=5; P=0.02). Tumor immune microenvironment analyses were also conducted. Comparing IVO- or VOR-treated samples (n=21) with untreated controls and banked reference samples (n=33), RNAseq analysis showed a ~2-fold decrease in the expression of tumor-associated macrophage markers CD68 (P=0.01) and CD163 (P=0.03) in mIDH oligodendrogliomas. In addition, IHC analysis from paired pre-treatment (archival) and post-treatment samples showed an increase of CD3+ T-cell infiltration (P=0.03) and CD8+ T-cell infiltration (P=0.01) in IVO- or VOR-treated samples with optimal 2-HG suppression (n=21). Single-cell RNAseq was conducted for a subset of samples, and the results will be presented. Overall, these data suggest that mIDH inhibition decreases DNA hypermethylation and tumor cell proliferation, and activates the immune microenvironment in mIDH LGG. In conclusion, these data elucidate the mechanisms underlying mIDH inhibition and support further development of mIDH inhibitors in mIDH LGG.

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Citation Format: Min Lu, Ingo K. Mellinghoff, Aaron Diaz, Jennie W. Taylor, Sung Choe, Ania Tassinari, Dongwei Zhu, Katie Sellers, Kha Le, Feng Tai, Islam Hassan, Shuchi S. Pandya, Lori Steelman, Bin Wu. Inhibiting IDH mutations in low-grade glioma alters cellular function and the immune environment [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 2046.

LncRNA AK036396/FcnB regulating polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells in tumor bearing mice

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), which are constituted of immature myeloid cells, represent a population of heterogeneous cells derived from bone marrow. Activated and expanded MDSCs suppress the antitumor immune response by directly inhibiting T cell by high levels of Arg1, reactive oxygen species, and inducible nitric oxide synthase. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts with lengths &gt;200 nts and without the capacity to encode proteins. With the development of RNA sequencing, lncRNAs that were previously considered “transcriptional noise” have been confirmed to be involved in regulating cellular biology. However, the role of lncRNAs in the development and function of polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs) remains unclear. Here, we identified that the lncRNA AK036396 was highly expressed in PMN-MDSCs, and lncRNA AK036396 knockdown promoted the maturation and decreased the suppressive function of PMN-MDSCs. Ficolin B (Fcnb), whose expression could be used to reflect PMN-MDSC development, was the predicted target gene of lncRNA AK036396 based on microarray results. LncRNA AK036396 knockdown attenuated Fcnb protein stability in a manner dependent on the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Moreover, Fcnb inhibition downregulated the suppressive function of PMN-MDSCs. In addition, the expression of human M-ficolin, which is an orthologue of mouse Fcnb, was increased and positively correlated with arginase1 (Arg1) level in lung cancer patients. Based on these findings, lncRNA AK036396 can inhibit maturation and accelerate immunosuppression of PMN-MDSCs by enhancing Fcnb protein stability, which will be helpful for developing antitumor therapies targeting PMN-MDSCs.

Blastulation of a zygote to a hatched blastocyst without any clear cell division: an observational finding in a time-lapse system after in vitro fertilization

PURPOSE

To describe an interesting not previously described morphokinetic finding.

METHODS

Retrospective case report of a couple undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) followed by in vitro fertilization and blastocyst transfer.

RESULTS

We identified a unique finding of blastulation of a fertilized human zygote after conventional in vitro fertilization. The fertilized zygote did not show any clear cytokinesis until approximately 107 h post insemination, when it started dividing into a blastocyst. By 113 h post insemination, inner cell mass and trophectoderm cells could be clearly distinguished and the blastocyst was completely hatched by 136 h post insemination.

CONCLUSION

Time-lapse systems offer more detailed observations of embryonic development. Here, we report an atypical development of an embryo that was not described previously. We hope to become an insightful discussion among peers and incentive the publication of such findings in the future.

Genetic variants in the folate metabolic pathway genes predict cutaneous melanoma-specific survival

BACKGROUND

Folate metabolism plays an important role in DNA methylation and nucleic acid synthesis and thus may function as a regulatory factor in cancer development. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified some single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with cutaneous melanoma-specific survival (CMSS), but no SNPs were found in genes involved in the folate metabolic pathway.

OBJECTIVES

To examine associations between SNPs in folate metabolic pathway genes and CMSS.

METHODS

We comprehensively evaluated 2645 (422 genotyped and 2223 imputed) common SNPs in folate metabolic pathway genes from a published GWAS of 858 patients from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and performed the validation in another GWAS of 409 patients from the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, in which 95/858 (11·1%) and 48/409 (11·7%) patients died of cutaneous melanoma, respectively.

RESULTS

We identified two independent SNPs (MTHFD1 rs1950902 G>A and ALPL rs10917006 C>T) to be associated with CMSS in both datasets, and their meta-analysis yielded an allelic hazards ratio of 1·75 (95% confidence interval 1·32-2·32, P = 9·96 × 10^-5 ) and 2·05 (1·39-3·01, P = 2·84 × 10^-4 ), respectively. The genotype-phenotype correlation analyses provided additional support for the biological plausibility of these two variants' roles in tumour progression, suggesting that variation in SNP-related mRNA expression levels is likely to be the mechanism underlying the observed associations with CMSS.

CONCLUSIONS

Two possibly functional genetic variants, MTHFD1 rs1950902 and ALPL rs10917006, were likely to be independently or jointly associated with CMSS, which may add to personalized treatment in the future, once further validated. What is already known about this topic? Existing data show that survival rates vary among patients with melanoma with similar clinical characteristics; therefore, it is necessary to identify additional complementary biomarkers for melanoma-specific prognosis. A hypothesis-driven approach, by pooling the effects of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a specific biological pathway as genetic risk scores, may provide a prognostic utility, and genetic variants of genes in folate metabolism have been reported to be associated with cancer risk. What does this study add? Two genetic variants in the folate metabolic pathway genes, MTHFD1 rs1950902 and ALPL rs10917006, are significantly associated with cutaneous melanoma-specific survival (CMSS). What is the translational message? The identification of genetic variants will make a risk-prediction model possible for CMSS. The SNPs in the folate metabolic pathway genes, once validated in larger studies, may be useful in the personalized management and treatment of patients with cutaneous melanoma.

Diversity and abundance of comammox bacteria in the sediments of an urban lake

AIMS

Although comammox have been discovered in a variety of ecosystems, there are few studies in urban lakes. This paper attempted to confirm whether this ammonia-oxidizing microbe exists in urban lakes and to determine the factors influencing its existence.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This study investigated the diversity and abundance of comammox bacteria in sediments of a typical urban lake in China, and their ecological relationship with other ammonia-oxidizing micro-organisms. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that comammox clade A existed in the sediment of Lake Donghu, and the comammox bacteria co-existed with ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and anaerobic ammonia-oxidizing (anammox) bacteria in the sediment of this lake. The abundances of the ammonia monooxygenase subunit A (amoA) genes for comammox, AOA, AOB and anammox 16S rRNA were 2·43 × 10⁸ , 1·07 × 10⁸ , 3·24 × 10⁷ and 3·21 × 10¹¹ copies per gram dry sediment respectively. Moreover, the amoA gene abundance of comammox was positively correlated with that of AOA and AOB. The redundancy analysis showed that the abundance of the comammox amoA gene was negatively correlated with the concentration of main indicators for nitrogen status in both the sediment and the water column, indicating that eutrophication may inhibit the growth of comammox bacteria.

CONCLUSIONS

Comammox bacteria play an important ecological role in the nitrogen cycle of urban lake sediments.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Our results indicated comammox bacteria were widespread in urban lakes and eutrophication may inhibit their growth.

Chloride inputs to the North Saskatchewan River watershed: the role of road salts as a potential driver of salinization downstream of North America's northern most major city (Edmonton, Canada)

Multiple anthropogenic activities are driving the salinization of freshwater environments threatening water resources worldwide. Accordingly, this research will first examine the spatial and temporal variability of major ions (i.e. Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, SO₄^2-, CO₃^2-, and HCO₃^-) upstream and downstream of the northernmost major city in North America (Edmonton, Canada). Second, this research will estimate the relative contributions of the major sources of chloride (Cl), the main constituent of road deicers, to the sub-basin around Edmonton. Monthly water quality data was for three sites on the North Saskatchewan River (NSR): Rocky Mountain House (RMH - downstream of the Rocky Mountain headwaters), Devon Bridge (upstream of Edmonton) and Pakan Bridge (downstream of Edmonton). Change ratios investigate the downstream alterations of major ions at Pakan and Devon, relative to RMH. Seasonal Kendall tests examine temporal trends (1987-2017). A mass-balance approach then quantifies the major sources of Cl in the sub-basin of the NSR between Devon and Pakan. Progressing from the Rocky Mountain headwaters (at RMH) to downstream of Edmonton (at Pakan), Cl^- increased by >5.5 times, Na⁺ by 4.8 times and K by 2.7 times. No significant temporal trends for Cl^-, Na⁺ and K⁺ were evident at Devon (upstream of Edmonton), whereas all three significantly increased at Pakan (downstream of Edmonton). Deicers (54%), agriculture (20%), along with waste water treatment plant and industrial effluent (15%) were the largest Cl sources in the NSR Devon-Pakan sub-basin. In total, 77 Gg yr^-1 of Cl (or 6 t km² yr^-1) is added to the Devon-Pakan sub-basin, of which, 43 Gg yr^-1 is retained. Understanding and managing the major drivers of freshwater salinization will be of increasing importance in the 21^st century owing to the potential salinization of freshwater resources in the context of a changing climate.

Training of quantum circuits on a hybrid quantum computer

Generative modeling is a flavor of machine learning with applications ranging from computer vision to chemical design. It is expected to be one of the techniques most suited to take advantage of the additional resources provided by near-term quantum computers. Here, we implement a data-driven quantum circuit training algorithm on the canonical Bars-and-Stripes dataset using a quantum-classical hybrid machine. The training proceeds by running parameterized circuits on a trapped ion quantum computer and feeding the results to a classical optimizer. We apply two separate strategies, Particle Swarm and Bayesian optimization to this task. We show that the convergence of the quantum circuit to the target distribution depends critically on both the quantum hardware and classical optimization strategy. Our study represents the first successful training of a high-dimensional universal quantum circuit and highlights the promise and challenges associated with hybrid learning schemes.

[Clinical and genotypic characteristics of infantile inflammatory bowel disease]

Objective: To analyze the clinical and genotypic characteristics of infantile inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods: The age of onset, family history, clinical manifestations, and treatment effect were retrospectively analyzed in 39 infants (male 23 cases, female 16 cases) with IBD who were admitted to the Department of Gastroenterology in Children's Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics from January 2007 to December 2017. Next generation sequencing (NGS) based on target gene panel was used for gene analysis in 17 patients. Results: The median age of onset was 0.5 (0.5, 1.0) month. The most common clinical symptoms included diarrhea (39, 100%), malnutrition (38, 97%), hematochezia (34, 87%), fever (25, 64%), and perianal diseases (24, 61%). Four children had associated family history. Among the 17 patients whose gene was analyzed, 10 were found to have the pathogenic gene variation, within whom 7 had interleukin-10 receptor α subunit (IL-10RA) mutation, 2 had CYBB heterozygous mutation, 1 had interleukin-10 receptor β subunit (IL-10RB) mutation. The therapeutic medicine included mesalazine, steroids, and thalidomide. Eighteen children (46%) reached clinical remission (10 cases) or partial remission (8 cases). Conclusions: The incidence of single gene mutation in infants with IBD is high, with IL-10RA mutation as the most common. Refractory diarrhea and malnutrition may indicate infantile IBD.

Tumor suppressor miR-145-5p sensitizes prolactinoma to bromocriptine by downregulating TPT1

PURPOSE

Prolactinoma is the most commonly seen secretory tumor of pituitary glands, which accounts for approximately up to 40% of total pituitary adenomas. Due to its high drug resistance, dopamine agonist, such as bromocriptine, has limited effect on the treatment of patients with prolactinoma. Recent discoveries have revealed that multiple miRNAs were involved in regulating drug resistance. In this research, we explored the relationship between miR-145-5p expression as well as bromocriptine sensitivity both in vitro and in vivo.

METHODS

To study the role of miR-145-5p in drug resistance of prolactinoma, the expression levels of miR-145-5p in bromocriptine-resistant prolactinoma cell line MMQ/BRC and its parental cell line MMQ cells, 24 bromocriptine-resistant as well as eight sensitive clinical samples were measured by qRT-PCR. Moreover, CCK8, flow cytometry and immunofluorescence were performed to identify the biological characteristics of MMQ/BRC and MMQ. TPT1 was predicted as a direct target gene of miR-145-5p by bioinformatic methods. In addition, qRT-PCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression level of TPT1 in clinical specimens and cell lines. Xenograft mouse model was constructed to analyze whether miR-145-5p could reverse bromocriptine resistance in prolactinoma in vivo.

RESULTS

In our study, bromocriptine-resistant prolactinoma clinical samples and cell line had decreased miR-145-5p levels and expressed high levels of TPT1 compared with their sensitive counterparts. Bioinformatic methods and our preliminary dual luciferase reporter assay were utilized to elucidate that TPT1 was a direct target gene of miR-145-5p. Furthermore, introducing miR-145-5p mimic into MMQ cells led to a decrease of IC50 along with upregulation of TPT1; nevertheless, transfecting the corresponding inhibitor into MMQ cells resulted in an upregulation of IC50 as well as reduction of TPT1.

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively, our findings elucidated the role of miR-145-5p as an important regulator of drug resistance in prolactinoma by controlling TPT1, and implicated the potential application of miR-145-5p in cancer therapy as well.

Pharmacological inhibition of β-catenin/BCL9 interaction overcomes resistance to immune checkpoint blockades by modulating Treg cells

The Wnt/β-catenin (β-cat) pathway plays a critical role in cancer. Using hydrocarbon-stapled peptide technologies, we aim to develop potent, selective inhibitors targeting this pathway by disrupting the interaction of β-cat with its coactivators B-cell lymphoma 9 (BCL9) and B-cell lymphoma 9-like (B9L). We identified a set of peptides, including hsBCL9CT-24, that robustly inhibits the activity of β-cat and suppresses cancer cell growth. In animal models, these peptides exhibit potent anti-tumor effects, favorable pharmacokinetic profiles, and minimal toxicities. Markedly, these peptides promote intratumoral infiltration of cytotoxic T cells by reducing regulatory T cells (Treg) and increasing dendritic cells (DCs), therefore sensitizing cancer cells to PD-1 inhibitors. Given the strong correlation between Treg infiltration and APC mutation in colorectal cancers, it indicates our peptides can reactivate anti-cancer immune response suppressed by the oncogenic Wnt pathway. In summary, we report a promising strategy for cancer therapy by pharmacological inhibition of the Wnt/β-cat signaling.

Ultrastructure of duck Tembusu virus observed by electron microscopy with negative staining

Duck Tembusu virus (DTMUV) is a newly emerging enveloped flavivirus. This study shows the ultrastructure of DTMUV using viral purification, negative staining and electron microscopy. Electron microscopic examinations revealed mature DTMUV particles with 50 to 75 nm in diameter and typical enveloped flavivirus structure that consists of the internal nucleocapsid, an inner layer of lipid bilayer and an external layer of E glycoprotein ectodomain. Particles appear to be mostly spherical. In particular, RNA core is deep colored and dense, both capsid and lipid bilayer are clearly visible, the capsid forms regular hexagon, and E glycoprotein ectodomain forms a fringe instead of visible spikes. Thus, this report about the clear ultrastructure of the DTMUV particles will be the major driving forces behind structural biology of DTMUV.

Effects of T cell subsets with different proportions on renal function and blood lipids in patients with preeclampsia

This study aimed to investigate the effect of T cell subsets with different proportions on renal function and blood lipids in patients with preeclampsia (PE). Ninety pregnant women were included in this experiment and classified into 3 groups: group A (30 with severe PE), group B (30 with mild PE) and group C (30 healthy pregnant women). Clinical characteristics were examined. The ratio of T cell subsets in the three groups was detected by flow cytometry. The relationship between PE and T cell subsets was determined. The results showed that no significant difference was found in age or gestational age (P>0.05). The number of CD4+ T cells (CD4 is mainly expressed in helper T cells, referred to as TH) in group A increased significantly compared with group B and group C (P less than 0.05), while the number of CD8+ T cells (CD8+ T cell, also known as cytotoxic T cell (CTL) in group A decreased noticeably in comparison to group C (P less than 0.05). The ratio of CD4+ cell number to CD8+ cell number (TH/CTL) in group A was elevated significantly compared with group B and group C (P less than 0.05). The uric acid (UA) concentration of group A was noticeably elevated compared to group C (P less than 0.05), which differed insignificantly between group B and C (P>0.05). Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of group A was obviously impaired in comparison to group B and group C (P less than 0.05), which differed insignificantly between group B and C (P>0.05). Total cholesterol (TC) concentrations in group A, C and B were examined. TC concentrations in the former two groups were slightly higher compared to the latter (P less than 0.05), and those in the former two groups were also higher than the normal range (P less than 0.05). Mean triglyceride (TG) concentrations in all 3 groups were above the normal range, and those in group A and B were significantly higher compared to group C (P less than 0.05). TG concentrations differed insignificantly between group B and C (P>0.05). Serum TG, UA and TC in PE patients were positively related to TH/CTL (P less than 0.05). In conclusion, PE is related to T cell subsets, and T cell subsets are closely related to kidney injury and dyslipidemia.

[Effect of functional exercises on patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a meta-analysis]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of functional exercises on disease activity, joint function and quality of life of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODS

Randomized controlled trials were searched in Cochrane Library, PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP database and Wanfang database with keywords being "rheumatoid arthritis/RA", "function exercise (training)/joint exercise (training)/physical exercise (training)/resistance movement (exercise)/isotonic and isometric/stretching exercise/muscle exercise", and "trials/clinical trials". Then literature selection, extraction and literature quality evaluation were carried out by two of the authors independently following the including and excluding standards. Then the outcome indicators were analyzed with Review Manager 5.3 software.

RESULTS

In the study, 2 173 articles were achieved by searching in databases, including 1 522 English papers and 651 Chinese papers. Then 913 duplicated papers were identified and removed using EndNote software. After reading the titles and abstracts, 1 194 papers were excluded that did not satisfy the including standards. Finally, the full texts of these papers were read and papers with insufficient data were excluded, resulting in 13 included papers for systematic review, including 8 English and 5 Chinese papers. A total of 812 cases were studied in these papers, including 426 in the experimental groups and 386 in the conventional groups. For the outcome index in these articles, disease activity score 28 (DAS28) was used in 5 of them, health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) was used in 8 articles, visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain was used in 6 articles, and morning stiffness duration was used in 3 articles. The meta-analysis showed that functional exercises could delay the development of the disease activity of RA patients (mean difference=-0.76; 95%CI: -1.13, -0.38; P<0.001), improve the joint function (mean difference=-0.36; 95%CI: -0.47, -0.24; P<0.001), alleviate the pain of joints (mean difference=-1.75; 95%CI: -1.98, -1.53; P<0.001), and reduce the duration of morning stiffness (mean difference=-17.65; 95%CI: -22.09, -13.21; P<0.001).

CONCLUSION

This study showed the positive effects of functional exercises on alleviating the pain of joints, reducing the morning stiffness duration, and delaying the disease exacerbation of RA patients. It has a positive effect on improving the joint function and improving the quality of life in patients with RA.

Roles of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cell Subpopulations in Autoimmune Arthritis

Emerging evidence suggests the promise of the use of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in inflammatory disorders based on their unique immune-intervention properties. However, the roles of MDSCs in autoimmune arthritis are not completely understood. Indeed, their immunosuppressive functions in arthritic conditions remain controversial, with heterogeneity among MDSCs and differential effects among subpopulations receiving much attention. As a result, it is necessary to determine the roles of MDSC subpopulations in autoimmune arthritis to clarify their diagnostic and therapeutic potential. Interestingly, in the inflammation niche of autoimmune arthritis, each MDSC subpopulation can exhibit both alternatives of a given characteristic. Moreover, polymorphonuclear MDSCs (PMN-MDSCs) are likely to be more suppressive and stable compared with monocytic MDSCs (MO-MDSCs). Although various important cytokines associated with the differentiation of MDSCs or MDSC subpopulations from immature myeloid precursors, such as granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), have been largely applied in external inductive systems, their roles are not entirely clear. Moreover, MDSC-based clinical treatments in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) continue to represent a significant challenge, as also reported for other autoimmune diseases. In this review, we describe the effects and actions of MDSC subpopulations on the development of autoimmune arthritis and analyze several types of MDSC-based therapeutic strategies to provide comprehensive information regarding immune networks and a foundation for more effective protocols for autoimmune arthritis.

Construction of expression vectors of capsid proteins from goose parvovirus and investigation of the immunogenicity

Goose parvovirus (GPV) is a highly contagious and lethal disease in goslings and Muscovy ducklings, and is of concern to the waterfowl industry. With the aim of comparing the cellular immunogenicity of three capsid proteins of GPV, plasmids of pcDNA3.1(+)-VP1, pcDNA3.1(+)-VP2, and pcDNA3.1(+)-VP3 were constructed, and the recombinant protein VPs were expressed using an eukaryotic expression system. We detected the levels of immune-related genes (CD4, CD8α, IL-1β, IL-6, IFNα, IFNγ, and IFNλ) in both goose embryo fibroblasts (GEF) and goose peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) cellular models. The immune response conferred by a VP2 DNA vaccine in vivo was observed in a time course. Our data suggested that the cellular immune response to VP2 and VP3 was stronger than that to VP1, while VP2 and VP3 shared similar cellular immune reactivity. In addition, vaccination with VP2 plasmid can induce high level of IgY antibody that continued to increase through 28 days post vaccination. Therefore, our findings shed light on the host cellular immune response against GPV capsid proteins. Keywords: GPV; capsid proteins; cellular immune response; humoral immunity.

Oncologic outcomes of nephron-sparing surgery in patients with T1 multifocal renal cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

This study is performed to explore the pathological characteristics and oncologic outcomes of T1 multifocal renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

METHODS

The clinical data of 600 patients (442 males and 158 females) between the age of 29 and 73 years, diagnosed with T1 RCC were collected from three hospitals in China, out of which 421 cases had undergone nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) and 179 cases had undergone radical nephrectomy (RN) between December 2010 and January 2015.

RESULTS

Tumor was identified with multifocality in 32 patients (5.33%), out of which 21 were set to receive NSS, and 11 to receive RN, respectively; 21 cases of clear cell tumor, 8 cases of papillary tumor, 1 case of chromophobe tumor and 2 cases of Xp.11.2 translocation RCC. Among 568 cases of monofocal tumors, 400 patients underwent NSS, and the remaining 168 patients underwent RN, respectively. After a median follow-up of 5 years, 13 patients were found with recurrent tumors out of those who had undergone NSS, 11 with monofocal tumors and 2 with multifocal tumors containing satellite tumor nodules (p = 0.13). Out of the 32 individuals with multifocal RCC, 4 cases were reported to have died of cancer, 2 of NSS and 2 of RN. From these findings, the cancer-specific survival for NSS and RN was estimated to be 90.48% and 81.82%, respectively (p = 0.48).

CONCLUSION

The findings from the study suggested that there were pathological differences in multifocal renal tumors, and that papillary carcinoma may be more common than clear cell carcinoma. The recurrence rate and survival rate of multifocal RCC were similar to monofocal tumors. Tumor recurrence may be related to satellite tumor nodules, which can only be detected once surgery is performed.