Characteristics of paediatric patients with 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) and severe, oxygen-requiring pneumonia in the Tokyo region, 1 September-31 October 2009

Few reports describe the features of 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) pneumonia in children. We retrospectively reviewed 21 consecutive children admitted to hospital from September to October 2009 in the Tokyo region. The diagnosis of 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) virus infection was based on positive results of real-time RT-PCR or rapid influenza antigen test. All patients were hospitalised for pneumonia with respiratory failure and severe hypoxia. The median interval from onset of influenza symptoms to admission was 14 hours (range: 5-72 hours) and the median interval from the onset of fever (≥38 degrees C) to hospitalisation was 8.5 hours (range: 0-36 hours). All patients required oxygen inhalation. Four patients required mechanical ventilation. Chest radiography revealed patchy infiltration or atelectasis in all patients. Antiviral agents and antibiotics were administrated to all patients. Antiviral agents were administered to 20 patients within 48 hours of influenza symptom onset. No deaths occurred during the study period. Paediatric patients with this pneumonia showed rapid aggravation of dyspnoea and hypoxia after the onset of influenza symptoms.

Characteristics of paediatric patients with 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) and severe, oxygen-requiring pneumonia in the Tokyo region, 1 September–31 October 2009

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Cytotoxicity of amorphous silica particles against macrophage-like THP-1 cells depends on particle-size and surface properties

Recent studies have indicated that amorphous silica particles (SPs) show cytotoxicity against various types of cells, including macrophages. However, the mechanism of cell death has not been determined, and systematic investigations of the relationship between particle characteristics and cytotoxicity are still quite limited. Here, we compared the cytotoxicity of SPs of various sizes (30-1000 nm) and surface properties against differentiated THP-1 human macrophage-like cells. We found that 300 and 1000 nm SPs showed cytotoxicity against THP-1 cells, whereas 30, 50, and 70 nm SPs did not induce cell death. We demonstrated that 1000 nm SP showed strong cytotoxicity that depended on reactive oxygen species but was independent of caspases. Furthermore, we showed that surface modification of 1000 nm SPs dramatically suppressed their cytotoxicity. Our results suggest that systematic evaluation of the association between particle characteristics and biological effects is necessary for the creation of safe SPs.

The cell polarity regulator hScrib controls ERK activation through a KIM site-dependent interaction

The cell polarity regulator, human Scribble (hScrib), is a potential tumour suppressor whose loss is a frequent event in late-stage cancer development. Little is yet known about the mode of action of hScrib, although recent reports suggest its role in the regulation of cell signalling. In this study we show that hScrib is a direct regulator of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). In human keratinocytes, loss of hScrib results in elevated phospho-ERK levels and concomitant increased nuclear translocation of phospho-ERK. We also show that hScrib interacts with ERK through two well-conserved kinase interaction motif (KIM) docking sites, both of which are also required for ERK-induced phosphorylation of hScrib on two distinct residues. Although wild-type hScrib can downregulate activation of ERK and oncogenic Ras co-transforming activity, an hScrib mutant that lacks the carboxy terminal KIM docking site has no such effects. These results provide a clear mechanistic explanation of how hScrib can regulate ERK signalling and begin to explain how loss of hScrib during cancer development can contribute to disease progression.

Phylogenetic diversity of gene sequences isolated from the rumen as analysed using a self-organizing map (SOM)

AIMS

To determine the origins of DNA sequences isolated from the rumen microbial ecosystem using a self-organizing map (SOM).

METHODS AND RESULTS

DNA sequences other than 16S small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene sequences that were detected from the rumen were analysed by the SOM method reported by Abe et al. [2000, Self-Organizing Map (SOM) unveils and visualizes hidden sequence characteristics of a wide range of eukaryote genomes. Gene 365, 27-34]. Because query sequences positioned by SOM were scattered on the master drawing of SOM, it was suggested that many DNA sequences isolated from the rumen were collected from a broad range of micro-organisms. Although the results obtained by SOM were similar to those obtained by the neighbour-joining (NJ) method, SOM was able to presume the phylotypes of the query sequences without information about the 16S SSU rRNA gene sequences and homology searches, and to reveal existence of novel micro-organisms deduced to be cellulolytic bacteria, archaea and methanotrophic bacterium.

CONCLUSIONS

As the SOM method defined phylotypes of unreported rumen micro-organisms, it is presumed that these phylotypes would be involved in rumen fermentation in cooperation with known rumen micro-organisms. Moreover, it is demonstrated that SOM is a useful tool for affiliating DNA sequences, which have no matches in databases.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY

Through SOM analysis, a better means of identifying rumen micro-organisms and estimating their roles in rumen function was provided.

Systemic administration of a PEGylated adenovirus vector with a cancer-specific promoter is effective in a mouse model of metastasis

Cancer gene therapy by adenovirus vectors (Advs) for metastatic cancer is limited because systemic administration of Adv produces low therapeutic effect and severe side effects. In this study, we generated a dual cancer-specific targeting vector system by using PEGylation and the telomere reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter and attempted to treat experimental metastases through systemic administration of the vectors. We first optimized the molecular size of PEG and modification ratios used to create PEG-Ads. Systemic administration of PEG-Ad with 20-kDa PEG at a 45% modification ratio (PEG[20K/45%]-Ad) resulted in higher tumor-selective transgene expression than unmodified Adv. Next, we examined the effectiveness against metastases and side effects of a TERT promoter-driven PEG[20K/45%]-Ad containing the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSVtk) gene (PEG-Ad-TERT/HSVtk). Systemic administration of PEG-Ad-TERT/HSVtk showed superior antitumor effects against metastases with negligible side effects. A cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter-driven PEG[20K/45%]-Ad also produced antimetastatic effects, but these were accompanied by side effects. Combining PEG-Ad-TERT/HSVtk with etoposide or 5-fluorouracil enhanced the therapeutic effects with negligible side effects. These results suggest that modification with 20-kDa PEG at a 45% modification ratio is the optimal condition for PEGylation of Adv, and PEG-Ad-TERT/HSVtk is a prototype Adv for systemic cancer gene therapy against metastases.

Creation of an improved mutant TNF with TNFR1-selectivity and antagonistic activity by phage display technology

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF), which binds two types of TNF receptors (TNFR1 and TNFR2), regulates the onset and exacerbation of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease. In particular, TNFR1-mediated signals are predominantly related to the induction of inflammatory responses. We have previously generated a TNFR1-selective antagonistic TNF-mutant (mutTNF) and shown that mutTNF efficiently inhibits TNFR1-mediated bioactivity in vitro and attenuates inflammatory conditions in vivo. In this study, we aimed to improve the TNFR1-selectivity of mutTNF This was achieved by constructing a phage library displaying mutTNF-based variants, in which the amino acid residues at the predicted receptor binding sites were substituted to other amino acids. From this mutant TNF library, 20 candidate TNFR1-selective antagonists were isolated. Like mutTNF, all 20 candidates were found to have an inhibitory effect on TNFR1-mediated bioactivity. However, one of the mutants, N7, displayed significantly more than 40-fold greater TNFR1-selectivty than mutTNF. Therefore, N7 could be a promising anti-autoimmune agent that does not interfere with TNFR2-mediated signaling pathways.

Genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism arrays in endometrial carcinomas associate extensive chromosomal instability with poor prognosis and unveil frequent chromosomal imbalances involved in the PI3-kinase pathway

Endometrial cancer is one of the tumor types in which either chromosomal instability (CIN) or microsatellite instability (MSI) may occur. It is known to possess mutations frequently in the Ras-PI3K (phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase) pathway. We performed a comprehensive genomic survey in 31 endometrial carcinomas with paired DNA for chromosomal imbalances (25 by the 50K and 6 by the 250K single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array), and screened 25 of the 31 samples for MSI status and mutational status in the Ras-PI3K pathway genes. We detected five or more copy number changes (classified as CIN-extensive) in 9 (29%), 1 to 4 changes (CIN-intermediate) in 17 (55%) and no changes (CIN-negative) in 5 (16%) tumors. Positive MSI was less common in CIN-extensive tumors (14%), compared with CIN-intermediate/negative tumors (50%), and multivariate analysis showed that CIN-extensive is an independent poor prognostic factor. SNP array analysis unveiled copy number neutral LOH at 54 loci in 13 tumors (42%), including four at the locus of PTEN. In addition to eight (26%) tumors with PTEN deletions, we detected chromosomal imbalances of NF1, K-Ras and PIK3CA in four (13%), four (13%) and six (19%) tumors, respectively. In all, 7 of the 9 CIN-extensive tumors harbor deletions in the loci of PTEN and/or NF1, whereas all the 10 MSI-positive tumors possess PTEN, PIK3CA and/or K-Ras mutations. Our results showed that genomic alterations in the Ras-PI3K pathway are remarkably widespread in endometrial carcinomas, regardless of the type of genomic instability, and suggest that the degree of CIN is a useful biomarker for prognosis in endometrial carcinomas.

General quantitative genetic methods for comparative biology: phylogenies, taxonomies and multi-trait models for continuous and categorical characters

Although many of the statistical techniques used in comparative biology were originally developed in quantitative genetics, subsequent development of comparative techniques has progressed in relative isolation. Consequently, many of the new and planned developments in comparative analysis already have well-tested solutions in quantitative genetics. In this paper, we take three recent publications that develop phylogenetic meta-analysis, either implicitly or explicitly, and show how they can be considered as quantitative genetic models. We highlight some of the difficulties with the proposed solutions, and demonstrate that standard quantitative genetic theory and software offer solutions. We also show how results from Bayesian quantitative genetics can be used to create efficient Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms for phylogenetic mixed models, thereby extending their generality to non-Gaussian data. Of particular utility is the development of multinomial models for analysing the evolution of discrete traits, and the development of multi-trait models in which traits can follow different distributions. Meta-analyses often include a nonrandom collection of species for which the full phylogenetic tree has only been partly resolved. Using missing data theory, we show how the presented models can be used to correct for nonrandom sampling and show how taxonomies and phylogenies can be combined to give a flexible framework with which to model dependence.

Behavior of endocrine disrupting chemicals in Johkasou improved septic tank in Japan

The behavior of estrogens (estrone: E1, 17beta-estradiol: E2, estriol: E3 and ethinylestradiol: EE2) and an androgen (testosterone) in the water and sludge from Johkasou in Japan was investigated. The concentrations of E1, E2, E3 and testosterone in water samples from the Johkasou were 33-500, N.D. approximately 150, N.D. approximately 6,700 and 500 ng/L, respectively. In sludge samples, the concentrations of E1, E2, E3, and testostrerone were N.D. approximately 39, N.D. approximately 6.7, N.D. approximately 60 and 0.2-9.0 ng/L, respectively. EE2 was not detected in all samples. The removal rates of E1, E2, E3 and testosterone in Johkasou were 45%-91%, 66%-100%, 90%-100%, and about 90%, respectively.

Preliminary trial of rebamipide for prevention of low-dose aspirin-induced gastric injury in healthy subjects: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study

Although low-dose aspirin is widely used, since it is a cheap and effective means of prevention of cardiovascular events, it can cause hemorrhagic gastrointestinal complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of rebamipide in preventing low-dose aspirin-induced gastric injury. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial was performed in twenty healthy volunteers. Aspirin 81 mg was administered with placebo or rebamipide 300 mg three times daily for 7 consecutive days. The rebamipide group exhibited significant prevention of erythema in the antrum compared with the placebo group (p = 0.0393, respectively). Results for the body and fornix did not differ significantly between the placebo and rebamipide groups. In conclusion, short-term administration of low-dose aspirin induced slight gastric mucosal injury in the antrum, but not in the body or fornix. Rebamipide may be useful for preventing low-dose aspirin-induced gastric mucosal injury, especially which confined to the antrum.

The oncogenic mutation in the pleckstrin homology domain of AKT1 in endometrial carcinomas

Background:

The phosphatidylinositol 3′-kinase (PI3K)–AKT pathway is activated in many human cancers and plays a key role in cell proliferation and survival. A mutation (E17K) in the pleckstrin homology domain of the AKT1 results in constitutive AKT1 activation by means of localisation to the plasma membrane. The AKT1 (E17K) mutation has been reported in some tumour types (breast, colorectal, ovarian and lung cancers), and it is of interest which tumour types other than those possess the E17K mutation.

Methods:

We analysed the presence of the AKT1 (E17K) mutation in 89 endometrial cancer tissue specimens and in 12 endometrial cancer cell lines by PCR and direct sequencing.

Results:

We detected two AKT1 (E17K) mutations in the tissue samples (2 out of 89) and no mutations in the cell lines. These two AKT1 mutant tumours do not possess any mutations in PIK3CA, PTEN and K-Ras.

Interpretation:

Our results and earlier reports suggest that AKT1 mutations might be mutually exclusive with other PI3K–AKT-activating alterations, although PIK3CA mutations frequently coexist with other alterations (such as HER2, K-Ras and PTEN) in several types of tumours.

Effects of preoperative administration of omeprazole on bleeding after endoscopic submucosal dissection: a prospective randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The effectiveness of preoperative administration of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for the prevention of bleeding after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is unclear. Our aim was to evaluate the benefit of starting PPI treatment 1 day before ESD to prevent bleeding after the procedure.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This was a prospective randomized controlled trial. Data for 155 patients who underwent ESD (preoperative administration group: N = 81; postoperative administration group: N = 74) were analyzed. All patients received standard ESD using an insulation-tipped knife. Patients in the preoperative group were administered omeprazole from the day before ESD, and patients in the postoperative group received omeprazole after ESD. Follow-up endoscopy was performed on day 1, day 7, and day 28. Intragastric pH was measured from samples of gastric juice. The primary endpoint of this study was major bleeding related to ESD, and the secondary endpoint was minor bleeding.

RESULTS

Major bleeding occurred in one patient from the postoperative group who had hematemesis. Minor bleeding occurred on day 1 in six patients from the preoperative group and five patients from the postoperative group (7.7 % vs. 7.4 %). There was no significant difference between major and minor bleeding ratios in the two groups. Intragastric pH at ESD in the postoperative group was lower than that in the preoperative group ( P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative administration of omeprazole offers no additional benefit over postoperative administration alone in the prevention of bleeding after ESD among elderly Japanese people.

Rapid isolation of intrabody candidates by using an optimized non-immune phage antibody library

Phage antibody library is a promising tool for rapidly creating in vitro single-chain Fv (scFv) antibodies to various antigens. The scFv can also act like a subcellularly-expressed antibody, known as intrabody, and can either be used as a novel research tool or used efficiently for targeted molecular therapy. However, there are only a few existing reports about the successful expression of scFvs as functional antibodies in the cell, mainly because poor quality scFv phage antibody libraries were used to isolate the intrabody clones. The aim of this study was to isolate intrabody-forming scFv clones from the nonimmune scFv phage antibody library we have generated. Using this library, we isolated a scFv clone against the apoptosis-related intracellular protein Bid in two weeks. To evaluate the intrabody-forming quality of this anti-Bid scFv clone, we expressed it in cultured mammalian cells after fusing it with the fluorescent protein Venus. The expression of the soluble form of anti-Bid scFv-Venus fusion protein was confirmed by fluorescence microscopy analysis. These results show that our scFv phage library is not only optimized for antibody production but can also be used to efficiently generate intrabodies.

The specific effect of 2-methoxyestradiol on lymphatic vascular endothelial cells

Lymphatic metastasis of tumors is one of the most important prognostic factors and provides valuable information for decisions on appropriate surgical protocols. Recent studies have demonstrated that lymphangiogenesis of lymphatic vascular endothelial cells into tumors is a key event in lymphatic metastasis. Therefore, control of lymphangiogenesis is a promising strategy for treatment or prevention of tumor metastasis and lymphatic disorders. However, mechanisms of lymphangiogenesis or its specific inhibition are not well-understood. In this study we examined effects of various types of signaling inhibitors on tube formation in human lymphatic microvascular endothelial cells (LECs) and blood microvascular endothelial cells (BECs) in vitro. We found that tube formation of LECs was specifically inhibited by 2-methoxyestradiol (2ME). This observation is of potential benefit in understanding the molecular mechanism of lymphangiogenesis. Furthermore, 2ME could therefore offer specific protection against lymphatic metastasis and lymphangiogenesis-related diseases.

Intraarticular administration of platelet-rich plasma with biodegradable gelatin hydrogel microspheres prevents osteoarthritis progression in the rabbit knee

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the therapeutic potential of administration of gelatin hydrogel microspheres containing platelet-rich plasma (PRP), by examining its effects on progression of osteoarthritis (OA) in a rabbit model.

METHODS

PRP and platelet-poor plasma (PPP) were prepared from rabbit blood. Adult rabbit chondrocytes were cultured in the alginate beads with the presence of 3% PRP or 3% PPP. Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) synthesis was quantified using dimethylmethylene blue assay. To confirm the anabolic effect of PRP in vivo, cartilage matrix gene expression was examined after intraarticular administration of PRP contained in gelatin hydrogel microspheres. The PRP contained in gelatin hydrogel microspheres was administered into the rabbit knee joint twice with an interval of 3 weeks, beginning 4 weeks after anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT). Ten weeks after ACLT, gross morphological and histological examinations were performed.

RESULTS

PRP significantly stimulated chondrocyte GAG synthesis in vitro. In the knee joint, expression of proteoglycan core protein mRNA in the articular cartilage increased after administration of PRP contained in microspheres. Intraarticular injections of PRP in gelatin hydrogel microspheres significantly suppressed progression of OA in the ACLT rabbit model morphologically and histologically.

CONCLUSION

The present findings indicate that sustained release of growth factors contained in PRP has preventive effects against OA progression. These preventive effects appear to be due to stimulation of cartilage matrix metabolism, caused by the growth factors contained in PRP.