The biology of hope: Inflammatory and neuroendocrine profiles in ovarian cancer patients

INTRODUCTION

Although the concept of hope is highly relevant for cancer patients, little is known about its association with cancer-relevant biomarkers. Here we examined how hope was related to diurnal cortisol and interleukin-6 (IL-6), a pro-inflammatory cytokine previously associated with tumor biology and survival in ovarian cancer. Secondly, we examined whether hope and hopelessness are distinctly associated with these biomarkers.

METHOD

Participants were 292 high-grade ovarian cancer patients who completed surveys and provided saliva samples 4x/daily for 3 days pre-surgery to assess diurnal cortisol. Blood (pre-surgery) and ascites were assessed for IL-6. Hope and hopelessness were assessed using standardized survey items from established scales (Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale; Profile of Mood States, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy). Two hopeless items were z-scored and combined into a composite for analysis. Regression models related these variables to nocturnal cortisol, cortisol slope, plasma and ascites IL-6, adjusting for cancer stage, BMI, age, and depression.

RESULTS

Greater hope was significantly related to a steeper cortisol slope, β = -0.193, p = 0.046, and lower night cortisol, β = -0.227, p = 0.018, plasma IL-6, β = -0.142, p = 0.033, and ascites IL-6, β = -0.290, p = 0.002. Secondary analyses including both hope and hopelessness showed similar patterns, with distinct relationships of hope with significantly lower nocturnal cortisol β = -0.233,p = 0.017 and ascites IL-6, β = -0.282,p = 0.003, and between hopelessness and a flatter cortisol slope, β = 0.211, p = 0.031.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest a biological signature of hope associated with less inflammation and more normalized diurnal cortisol in ovarian cancer. These findings have potential clinical utility but need replication with more diverse samples and validated assessments of hope.

Expanded statistical analysis of squats on the Great Britain (GB) mainline network

Squat defects are one of the most common rail surface defects. Significant research effort has gone into understand squat defects over the last 10 years which has brought about important developments in the understanding of their initiation mechanism; however, further work is still required to fully understand squat and the best methods to control them. This study considers records of squat defects over a period 9 years, considering 2600 km of track across 8 different routes on the GB mainline network. The analysis separately reviews squats on: plainline, crossings, joints and welds. Results include an overview of the main factors influencing the development of each type of squats, practical methods to immediately reduce and manage squat defects and recommends focus areas for further research to understand squat defects. Results suggest that squats on plainline, crossings, joints and welds, all correlate with different influencing factors; headcheck defects appear to significantly influence the probability of squats and how other factors influence squat development. There is a strong connection between total head wear rate (combined material removal due to traffic and grinding) and squats; 90 % of all squats appear on rail with a headwear rate of <0.2 mm/year. Overall larger section rail (60 kg/m vs 56 kg/m) and harder material (260 Brinell vs 220 Brinell) is significantly less susceptible to squat damage. Track curvature has an influence of squat development, especially in rail with no headcheck cracking, where the tightest curves are significantly more likely to sustain squat damage. The probability of squat at vertical discontinuities, i.e. joints and crossings are significantly more likely as train speed increases. Whilst squats on joints are 1000 time more likely than squats on welds.

Identifying drivers of forest resilience in long-term records from the Neotropics

Here, we use 30 long-term, high-resolution palaeoecological records from Mexico, Central and South America to address two hypotheses regarding possible drivers of resilience in tropical forests as measured in terms of recovery rates from previous disturbances. First, we hypothesize that faster recovery rates are associated with regions of higher biodiversity, as suggested by the insurance hypothesis. And second, that resilience is due to intrinsic abiotic factors that are location specific, thus regions presently displaying resilience in terms of persistence to current climatic disturbances should also show higher recovery rates in the past. To test these hypotheses, we applied a threshold approach to identify past disturbances to forests within each sequence. We then compared the recovery rates to these events with pollen richness before the event. We also compared recovery rates of each site with a measure of present resilience in the region as demonstrated by measuring global vegetation persistence to climatic perturbations using satellite imagery. Preliminary results indeed show a positive relationship between pre-disturbance taxonomic richness and faster recovery rates. However, there is less evidence to support the concept that resilience is intrinsic to a region; patterns of resilience apparent in ecosystems presently are not necessarily conservative through time.

Atmospheric imaging results from the Mars exploration rovers: Spirit and Opportunity

A visible atmospheric optical depth of 0.9 was measured by the Spirit rover at Gusev crater and by the Opportunity rover at Meridiani Planum. Optical depth decreased by about 0.6 to 0.7% per sol through both 90-sol primary missions. The vertical distribution of atmospheric dust at Gusev crater was consistent with uniform mixing, with a measured scale height of 11.56 +/- 0.62 kilometers. The dust's cross section weighted mean radius was 1.47 +/- 0.21 micrometers (mm) at Gusev and 1.52 +/- 0.18 mm at Meridiani. Comparison of visible optical depths with 9-mm optical depths shows a visible-to-infrared optical depth ratio of 2.0 +/- 0.2 for comparison with previous monitoring of infrared optical depths.

Stable and unstable transgene integration sites in the human genome: extinction of the Green Fluorescent Protein transgene in K562 cells

In gene transfer experiments including gene therapy studies, expression of the integrated transgenes in host cells often declines with time. The molecular basis of this phenomenon is not clearly understood. We have used the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) gene as both a selectable marker and a reporter to study long-term transgene integration and expression in K562 cells. Cells transfected with plasmids containing the GFP gene coupled to the HS2 or HS3 enhancer of the human beta-globin Locus Control Region (LCR) or the cytomegalovirus (CMV) enhancer were sorted by either fluorescence-activated-cell-sorting (FACS) alone or FACS combined with drug selection based on a co-integrated drug resistance gene. The two groups of selected cells were subsequently cultured for long periods up to 250 cell generations. Comparison of long-term GFP transgene integration and expression in these two groups of cells revealed that the K562 genome contains two types of transgene integration sites: i) abundant unstable sites that permit transcription but not long-term integration of the transgenes and thus eliminate the transgenes in 60-250 cell generations and ii) rare stable sites that permit both efficient transcription and long-term stable integration of the transgenes for at least 200 cell generations. Our results indicate that extinction of GFP expression with time is due at least in part to elimination of the gene from the host genome and not entirely to transcriptional silencing of the gene. However, long-term, stable expression of the transgene can be achieved in cells containing the transgene integrated into the rare, stable host sites.

A (GATA)(7) motif located in the 5' boundary area of the human beta-globin locus control region exhibits silencer activity in erythroid cells

A 40-bp DNA, consisting of seven tandem GATA repeats, is located near the HS5 site in the 5' boundary area of the locus control region (LCR) of human beta-globin gene. This (GATA)(7) motif, named 5a, exhibits silencer activity in erythroid cells. In transfected, recombinant plasmids containing the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene, 5a repressed the activity of the cis-linked housekeeping phosphoglycerate kinase (pgk) promoter; 5a also repressed the activity of the cis-linked HS2 enhancer regardless of whether the CAT gene was driven by the pgk or the epsilon-globin promoter. Repression by 5a was most severe when 5a was spliced upstream of HS2 at a distance of less than 200 bases from the HS2 enhancer core. The silencer activity of 5a was independent of whether the component GATA motifs were in head to tail orientation as in the wild type 5a or in head to head or tail to tail orientation as in a mutant 5a. Band shift experiments show that the GATA-1 protein binds to both 5a and the mutant 5a and forms a large protein complex. Together, the results suggest that GATA-1 bound at 5a is a strong, proximal repressor of HS2 enhancer activity.

Mouse zeta- and alpha-globin genes: embryonic survival, alpha-thalassemia, and genetic background effects

A classical notion regarding the expression of murine embryonic zeta- and adult alpha-globin genes holds that there is a switch in globin production from the embryonic to the adult form during fetal development. Our previous in situ hybridization studies challenged this view, since both zeta- and alpha-globin mRNAs can be detected simultaneously in the earliest erythrocyte populations. This finding raises the possibility that zeta-globin production might be wholly or partially redundant in embryos in which the adult alpha-globin is also expressed. To test this possibility, we created a null mutation of the zeta-globin gene using homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells. Many outbred mice homozygous for the zeta-null mutation were able to develop normally, undermining the notion that there is an absolute need for zeta-globin and indicating that alpha-globin alone can serve the survival needs of the fetus. Interestingly, insertion of the PGK-Neo cassette (used to create the null mutation) into the zeta-globin gene appears to influence the expression of the nearby alpha-globin genes, giving rise to reduced alpha-globin production and to an alpha-thalassemia-like syndrome. There is also evidence indicating the strong influence of genetic background on the zeta-null and alpha1-null phenotypes, both of which are much more severe in the 129/SvEv inbred genetic background. These quantitative differences can potentially be exploited to identify genes important for erythropoiesis.

Analysis of structural requirements for Ah receptor antagonist activity: ellipticines, flavones, and related compounds

A number of studies have examined the structure-activity relationships for the agonist activity of Ah receptor (AhR) ligands. Fewer studies have considered the structural basis for potential antagonist properties. Certain ellipticine derivatives have been reported to bind to the AhR and inhibit the ability of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) to transform the AhR to a form that recognizes a dioxin-responsive enhancer element (DRE) upstream of the cytochrome P4501A1 gene. In the present study, over 30 ellipticine derivatives and structurally related compounds were examined for their ability to bind to the AhR, activate it to a DRE-binding form, induce the luciferase gene under control of a DRE-containing enhancer, and block activation of the AhR by TCDD. The ability of several ellipticine derivatives to inhibit TCDD-elicited DRE binding and TCDD-induced luciferase activity was inversely related to their ability to alone stimulate these responses. The most potent antagonist activity was related to good AhR binding characteristics in terms of conforming to previously predicted 14 x 12 x 5 A van der Waals dimensions and the presence of an electron-rich ring nitrogen at or near a relatively unsubstituted X-axis terminal position. Based on these data, a number of flavone derivatives were synthesized and tested for their relative agonist/antagonist activity. These additional data were consistent with the hypothesis that an electron-rich center near or along a lateral position of the van der Waals binding cavity is a characteristic that enhances AhR antagonist activity.

Mapping of the antibody-binding regions on botulinum neurotoxin H-chain domain 855-1296 with antitoxin antibodies from three host species

Botulism due to food poisoning is caused mainly by protein toxins, botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), produced by Clostridium botluinum in seven known immunological serotypes. These are the most potent toxins and poisons known. BoNT effects blockade of neuromuscular transmission by preventing neurotransmitter release. Human botulism is most frequently caused by types A, B, and E. Recent studies have shown that immunization with a 43-kDa C-terminal fragment (Hc, residues 860-1296) of BoNT/A affords excellent protection against BoNT/A poisoning. We raised antibodies (Abs) against BoNT/A in horse, and against pentavalent toxoid (BoNTs A, B, C, D, E) in human volunteers and outbred mice. Thirty-one 19-residue peptides that started at residue 855, overlapped consecutively by 5 residues, and encompassed the entire length of the Hc of BoNT/A were synthesized and used for mapping the Ab-binding regions recognized by the anti-BoNT/A antisera. Horse Abs against BoBT/A were bound by peptides 855-873, 939-957, 1079-1097/1093-1111 overlap, 1191-1209/1205-1223 overlap, 1261-1279 and 1275-1296. In addition, peptides 883-901, 911-929, 995-1013, 1023-1041/1037-1055 overlap, 1121-1139, and 1149-1167 gave low, but significant and reproducible, binding. With human antisera, high amounts of Abs were bound by peptides 869-887, 925-943, 981-999, 995-1013, 1051-1069, and 1177-1195. In addition, lower amounts of Abs were bound by peptides 911-929, 939-957, 967-985, and the overlaps 1121-1139/1135-1153 and 1247-1265/1261-1279/1275-1296. With outbred mouse antisera, high amounts of Abs were bound by peptides 869-887, 1051-1069, and 1177-1195, while peptides 939-957, 995-1013, 1093-1111, and 1275-1296 bound lower amounts of Abs. The results indicate that horse antiserum against BoNT/A or human and mouse (outbred) antisera against the toxoid recognized similar regions on BoNT/A, but exhibited some boundary frame shifts and differences in immunodominance of these regions among the antisera. Selected synthetic epitopes will be used as immunogens to stimulate active or passive (by Ab transfer) immunity against toxin poisoning.

The value of radiology in predicting gallstone type when selecting patients for medical treatment

Since medical treatment of gallstones is confined to cholesterol-rich stones, the ability of clinical radiographs to predict gallstone type was tested prospectively by comparing the preoperative radiological appearance of gallstones from 57 unselected patients with cholelithiasis coming to cholecystectomy with the subsequent analysis of the stones both by X-ray diffraction and by chemical techniques. Fifty-two per cent of the patients had 'non-functioning' gallbladders which failed to opacify after at least two contrast examinations and 25 out of 50 had radioopaque stones. Of the 25 patients with radiolucent stones, the stones in 20 ((80%) were predominantly cholesterol in type but radiology was misleading in five; three contained 40-55% calcium salts but were still radiolucent while two were amorphous and contained less than 10% cholesterol by weight on chemical analysis. While radiology was sometimes misleading when the stones were small and irregular, large radiolucent stones with a smooth profile were invariably cholesterol-rich stones. The results also show that in men calcified stones were commoner than in women and that in older women the gallstones contained more calcium salts and less cholesterol than in younger women less than 50 yr). This paper analyses critically the value and limitations of clinical radiology in predicting gallstone type.

Stones in common bile duct: non-operative management

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A preliminary investigation of the pharmacology of longitudinal muscle strips from human isolated jejunum

The effects of drugs on longitudinal muscle strips of human jejunum were studied in vitro. The muscarinic site of action of acetylcholine was demonstrated. The sympathomimetic amines phenylephrine, noradrenaline and isoprenaline each produced only a relaxation by an action on adrenergic α- and β-receptors. The presence of both types of receptor was demonstrated by selective adrenergic blockade with pronethalol or Hydergine. The ganglion stimulating agent dimethylphenyl-piperazinium produced a contraction by an action on intramural cholinergic nervous tissue. When the contractile response was blocked by hyoscine, a relaxation occurred, due to the stimulation of an adrenergic mechanism which could be either the sympathetic nerves of the intrinsic nerve plexus or adrenergic stores in the bowel wall. The contraction produced by histamine was not inhibited by hyoscine or hexamethonium but was blocked by mepyramine, thus indicating a direct effect of the drug on the smooth muscle. 5-Hydroxytryptamine produced a contraction by a direct action on the muscle, since the response was not inhibited by hyoscine or hexamethonium but was blocked by methysergide (UML 491).