[A case of acute poisoning caused by oral administration of large dose hexazinone]

Hexazinone is a post-emergence herbicide/arboricides, and its acute poisoning has rarely been reported. Hexazinone is low-toxic to humans, but mass intake of hexazinone would still lead to organ impairment. This article analyzes a case of acute hexazinone poisoning from the poisoning treatment center of our hospital, and summarizes the symptoms and treatment effects of hexazinone poisoning, which is aimed at improving the comprehension, diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

POS0754 DEVELOPMENT OF A RISK PREDICTION MODEL FOR VENOUS THROMBOEMBOLISM IN PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS: THE SLE-VTE SCORE

Background:

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have a substantially increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). An individual VTE risk assessment is important to ensure that all patients are assessed and given adequate thromboprophylaxis.

Objectives:

We conducted this study to develop a risk score for VTE in patients with SLE.

Methods:

Patients with SLE who participated in the Chinese SLE Treatment and Research group were enrolled in this study. Patient baseline information and clinical laboratory indicators were obtained, and VTE events were recorded every 3-6 months during follow-up visits. The risk prediction model was created and internally validated using the bootstrap methods, and a scoring system was established (Figure 1).

Figure 1.

Flow chart of study design.

Results:

Out of 4,502 patients included in this study, 135 had a VTE event. After univariate analysis and Lasso regression, the following 11 variables were identified and included in the risk prediction model: male sex, age, BMI ≥25 kg/m2, hyperlipidemia, hypoalbuminemia, hsCRP>3 mg/L, renal involvement, nervous system involvement, anti-β2-glycoprotein I antibody positivity, lupus anticoagulant positivity, and no use of hydroxychloroquine. The AUC for the SLE-VTE score (Table 1) was 0.947 (95% CI, 0.9249-0.9694). The SLE-VTE score’s sensitivity and specificity with the optimal cutoff value of 13 were 0.919 and 0.881, respectively. The SLE-VTE score was superior to the GAPSS system in predicting the risk of VTE in patients with SLE (AUC= 0.947 vs. 0.680, P< 0.001; integrated discrimination improvement (IDI)= 0.6652, P< 0.001; net reclassification improvement (NRI)= 0.6652, P< 0.001).

Table 1.

Final multivariable analysis for venous thromboembolism risk in patients with SLE

β coefficientsOdds ratio* (95% CI)P-valuePoints in scoring systemMale0.6211.86(0.953-3.503)0.0612Age at study entry(≥50)0.8372.308(1.339-3.915)0.0023BMI02(kg/m20.7922.209(1.333-3.627)0.0023Hyperlipemia0.8382.313(1.246-4.166)0.0063Hypoalbuminemia2.1638.697(5.185-14.794)< 0.0017hsCRP>3 mg/L1.4524.272(2.618-6.968)< 0.0015Anti β2GPI1.0132.754(1.543-4.853)0.0013LA1.5594.752(2.799-8.072)< 0.0015Nervous system2.38210.832(6.163-18.998)< 0.0018Lupus nephritis0.8352.305(1.414-3.756)0.0013No use of hydroxychloroquine1.7715.876(3.722-9.401)< 0.0016

BMI: body mass index; hsCRP: Hypersensitive c-reactive protein; ACL: anticardiolipin, antiβ2GPI: anti-β2-glycoprotein I, LA: lupus anticoagulantm;

Values in bold are statistically significant at p <0.05.

Conclusion:

Various factors are related to the occurrence of VTE in patients with SLE. The proposed SLE-VTE risk score can accurately predict the risk of VTE and help identify SLE patients with a high risk of VTE who may benefit from thromboprophylaxis.

References:

[1]Ramirez GA, Efthymiou M, Isenberg DA, Cohen H. Under crossfire: thromboembolic risk in systemic lupus erythematosus. Rheumatology. 2018;58:940-952.

[2]Chung WS, Lin CL, Chang SN, Lu CC, Kao CH. Systemic lupus erythematosus increases the risks of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism: a nationwide cohort study. J Thromb Haemost. 2014;12:452-458.

[3]Liew NC, Alemany GV, Angchaisuksiri P, et al. Asian venous thromboembolism guidelines: updated recommendations for the prevention of venous thromboembolism. Int Angiol. 2017;36:1.

[4]Savino S, Giovanni S, Veronica M, Dario R, Khamashta MA, Laura BM. GAPSS: the Global Anti-Phospholipid Syndrome Score. Rheumatology. 2013:8.

[5]Konstantinides SV, Meyer G, Becattini C, et al. 2019 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of acute pulmonary embolism developed in collaboration with the European Respiratory Society (ERS). Eur Heart J. 2020;41:543-603.

[6]Moghadamyeghaneh Z, Hanna MH, Carmichael JC, Nguyen NT, Stamos MJ. A Nationwide Analysis of Postoperative Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism in Colon and Rectal Surgery. J Gastrointest Surg. 2014;18:2169-2177.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

Regulation of epithelial mesenchymal transition by the renin-angiotensin system: a role for klotho in renal tubular epithelial cells

Klotho is a putative aging suppressor gene that is primarily expressed in renal tubular epithelial cells. Its expression has been reported to protect against fibrosis in human chronic kidney disease. However, the roles of klotho in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and renal fibrosis are yet to be elucidated. The present study aimed to investigate the putative roles of klotho in angiotensin (Ang) II-induced damage of renal tubular epithelial cells. NRK-52E rat cells were treated with various combinations of Ang II, the Ang-converting enzyme inhibitor fosinopril (Fos) and the Ang II receptor antagonist valsartan (Val). The levels of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, soluble klotho, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and E-cadherin in NRK-52E culture supernatants were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein expression of TGF-β1, klotho, α-SMA and E-cadherin was detected using semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, immunocytochemistry and Western blot analysis. The results demonstrated that Ang II inhibited the expression of klotho and E-cadherin, while it upregulated the expression of TGF-β1 and α-SMA, in NRK52E cells. Fos and/or Val were revealed to enhance klotho and E-cadherin expression, and suppress the expression of TGF-β1 and α-SMA, compared with the Ang II-only group. Furthermore, a positive linear correlation was detected between the expression of klotho and E-cadherin, while negative linear correlations with klotho expression were detected for TGF-β1 and α-SMA expression. In conclusion, the expression of klotho was demonstrated to be enhanced following treatment with Fos and Val in Ang II-treated NRK-52E cells. The present results indicate that klotho may be involved in the inhibition of Ang II-induced EMT in renal tubular epithelial cells. Therefore, klotho may serve as a protective factor in renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis and aid the treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients using precision therapy.

RGMB-AS1/miR-22-3p/NFIB axis contributes to the progression of gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC), one of the most common cancers worldwide, presents a considerable threat to human health. Although multiple investigations have been made to figure out therapies for this disease, the prognosis of patients suffered from GC remains poor. It has been reported that lncRNAs exerted their significant effects on numerous cancers. Evidence confirmed that lncRNA RGMB-AS1 played an oncogenic role in the progression of cancers. However, the biological function and molecular mechanism of RGMB-AS1 in GC haven't been explored. In this study, our results demonstrated that RGMB-AS1 was upregulated in GC cells and knockdown of RGMB-AS1 suppressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion, EMT process and promoted cell apoptosis. Molecular mechanism experiments indicated that RGMB-AS1 could bind with miR-22-3p and NFIB was a downstream target gene of miR-22-3p. Additionally, RGMB-AS1 suppression upregulated the expression of miR-22-3p and miR-22-3p inhibitor could reverse the inhibitive role of sh-RGMB-AS1-1 in NFIB expression. Rescues assays showed that NFIB overexpression partially recovered the inhibitory function on cell proliferation, migration, invasion, EMT process and the promotive function on cell apoptosis caused by RGMB-AS1 depletion. Taken together, RGMB-AS1 contributes to the progression of GC by regulating miR-22-3p/NFIB axis, indicating a new therapeutic target for GC treatment.

Karyotyping and prenatal diagnosis of 47,XX,+ 8[67]/46,XX [13] Mosaicism: case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Trisomy 8 mosaicism has a wide phenotypic variability, ranging from mild dysmorphic features to severe malformations. This report concluded a female pregnant woman with trisomy 8 mosaicism, and carefully cytogenetic diagnoses were performed to give her prenatal diagnostic information. This report also provides more knowledge about trisomy 8 mosaicism and the prenatal diagnostic for clinicians.

CASE PRESENTATION

In this present study, we reported one case of pregnancy woman with trisomy 8 mosaicism. Noninvasive prenatal testing prompted an abnormal Z-score, but further three dimension color ultrasound result suggested a single live fetus with no abnormality. The phenotypic of the pregnant woman was normal. Based on our results, there were no abnormal initial myeloid cells (< 10^- 4), which suggested that the patient had no blood diseases. The peripheral blood karyotype of the patient was 47,XX,+ 8[67]/46,XX [13], and karyotype of amniotic fluid was 46, XX. The next generation sequencing (NGS) result suggested that the proportions of trisomy 8 in different tissues were obviously different; and 0% in amniotic fluid. Last, the chromosomes of the patient and her baby were confirmed using chromosome microarray analysis (CMA), and the results were arr[GRCh37](8) × 3,11p15.5p13(230750-33,455,733) × 2 hmz and normal.

CONCLUSIONS

This pregnancy woman was trisomy 8 mosaicism, but the phenotypic was normal, and also the fetus was normal. Carefully cytogenetic diagnoses should be performed for prenatal diagnose.

Association between PPARs Gene Functional Polymorphisms and Ischemic Stroke in Chinese Uyghur Population

PPARγ and PPARα belong to a receptor family of ligand-activated transcription factors involved in the regulation of inflammation, cellular glucose uptake, protection against atherosclerosis and endothelial cell function. Through these effects, they might be involved with the ischemic stroke (IS). We recruited 100 IS patients diagnosed by CTs or/and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 100 normal healthy controls from Chinese Uyghur Population to assess the nature of the functional polymorphisms of PPARs and any links with IS in this unique population which has 60% European ancestry and 40% East Asian ancestry. We found that the Ala allele of the PPARγ Pro12Ala polymorphism was more common in controls than IS subjects (P = 0.008, corrected for multiple testing) in the Uyghur Population. Pro/Ala carriage may be associated with a decreased risk of IS in Uyghurs (OR 0.542, 95% CI 0.346-0.850). Additionally, the 162Val allele frequency at the DNA-binding region of PPARα was extremely rare in Chinese Uguhur IS patients and controls. Our population and ethnic-based study demonstrates that the 162Val allele frequency was extremely low in the Chinese Uyghur Population different from Some European and African populations and the PPARγ 12 Pro/Ala resulting in an amino acid exchange in N-terminal sequence may be an independent protective factor for IS in the Chinese Uyghur Population.

[Survey of prevalence of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia in pregnant women in urban areas of China]

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in pregnant women in urban areas of China. Methods: The study was a national cross-sectional survey conducted from September 19th, 2016 to November 20th, 2016. According to the classification of the National Bureau of Statistics, all survey sites were set up in 6 regions of the country.Pregnant women were continuously selected using multistage stratified sampling. A total of 12 403 pregnant women were collected and examined for serum ferritin and hemoglobin levels. Results: The median serum ferritin level during pregnancy was 20.60 μg/L (11.78-36.98 μg/L) , the hemoglobin level was (118±12) g/L. With the progress of pregnancy, the levels of serum ferritin and hemoglobin decreased gradually. The median serum ferritin levels in the first, second trimester and third trimester were 54.30 μg/L (34.48-94.01 μg/L) , 28.60 μg/L (16.40-50.52 μg/L) , and 16.70 μg/L (10.20-27.00 μg/L) respectively (P<0.01) . The mean hemoglobin levels were (127±10) g/L, (119±11) g/L and (117±11) g/L respectively (P<0.01) . The prevalence of ID in urban pregnant women was 48.16% (5 973/12 403) , and IDA prevalence was 13.87% (1 720/12 403) . The prevalence of IDA in the first, second trimester and third trimester were 1.96% (20/1 019) , 8.40% (293/3 487) and 17.82% (1 407/7 897) ,respectively (P<0.01) . The prevalence of standardized ID and IDA were significantly different in various regions of China (P<0.01) . The standardized prevalence of ID were relatively higher in East China and Northeast China, 57.37% and 53.41% respectively, while it was the lowest in Southwest China, 30.51%. The standardized prevalence of IDA in South Central, Northwest, and East China were relatively high, 21.30%, 16.97% and 17.53% respectively, and the standardized prevalence of IDA in Southwest China was the lowest, 5.44%, the differents in various regions were significant (all P<0.01) . Conclusion: The current phenomenon of ID and IDA in pregnant women is still very common, and nutrition and health care during pregnancy should be strengthened.

Genetic diversity in Echinococcus shiquicus from the plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) in Darlag County, Qinghai, China

The metacestode of Echinococcus shiquicus has been recorded previously in the lung and liver of its intermediate host, the plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae), but there is limited information regarding other organ sites. There is also limited evidence of intra-specific genetic variation within E. shiquicus. A PCR-amplified mitochondrial (mt) nad1 gene fragment (approximately 1400bp in size), with unique EcoRI and SspI restriction sites, was used to distinguish cysts or cyst-like lesions of E. shiquicus from E. multilocularis. Then, the complete mt nad1 and cox1 genes for the E. shiquicus isolates were amplified and sequenced. Phylogenetic tree and haplotype network analyses for the isolates were then generated based on a concatenated dataset of the nad1 and cox1 genes using the neighbour-joining (NJ) method and TCS1.21 software. Nineteen of eighty trapped pikas were found to harbor cysts (71 in total) when dissected at the survey site. Seventeen animals had cysts (fertile) present only in the lungs, one animal had fertile cysts in the lungs and spleen, and one individual had an infertile kidney cyst. Restriction endonuclease analysis of a fragment of the nad1 gene indicated all the cysts were due to E. shiquicus. Genetic diversity analysis revealed that the nad1 and cox1 genes varied by 0.1-1.2% and 0.1-1.0%, respectively. Haplotype network analysis of the concatenated nad1 and cox1 sequences of the isolates showed they were classified into at least 6 haplotypes, and different haplotype percentages ranged from 4.2% to 29.6%. Although, high haplotype diversity was evident in the study area, the complete nad1 and cox1 gene sequences obtained indicated that all samples represented isolates of E. shiquicus. The study has also provided a new PCR-restriction endonuclease-based method to rapidly distinguish E. shiquicus from E. multilocularis which provides a useful tool for epidemiological investigations where the two species overlap.

The first outbreak of Taenia ovis infection in China

Infection of Taenia ovis metacestodes in sheep or goats causes great economic losses due to condemnation of carcasses. T. ovis infection is not formally recorded in China to date. In October, 2015, T. ovis infection occurred in Jingtai County, China, and 113 of 192 sheep from one farm were infected. Cysts resided in the cardiac and skeletal muscle, and evaginated metacestodes had four suckers and scolex armed with approximately 23 hooks. Using cox1 and nad1 as molecular markers, the sample was further identified and the results showed that the cox1 and nad1 nucleotide sequences of the sample shared 99% identity with that of T. ovis and 75%-91.3% with those of other Taenia species. Taken together, these results confirm the first occurrence of T. ovis in China.

TRIB3 mediates the expression of Wnt5a and activation of nuclear factor-κB in Porphyromonas endodontalis lipopolysaccharide-treated osteoblasts

Porphyromonas endodontalis lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is considered to be correlated with the progression of bone resorption in periodontal and periapical diseases. Wnt5a has recently been implicated in inflammatory processes, but its role is unclear as a P. endodontalis LPS-induced mediator in osteoblasts. Tribbles homolog 3 (TRIB3) encodes a pseudokinase and has been linked to inflammation in certain situations. Here, we found that P. endodontalis LPS induced Wnt5a expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner and it also upregulated translocation, phosphorylation and transcriptional activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in MC3T3-E1 cells. Bay 11-7082 blocked the translocation of NF-κB and Wnt5a expression induced by P. endodontalis LPS. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay further established that induction of Wnt5a by P. endodontalis LPS was mediated through the NF-κB p65 subunit. Additionally, P. endodontalis LPS increased expression of TRIB3 in osteoblasts after 10 h simulated time. Overexpression of TRIB3 enhanced NF-κB phosphorylation and Wnt5a induction, whereas knockdown of TRIB3 inhibited NF-κB phosphorylation and Wnt5a expression in P. endodontalis LPS-stimulated osteoblasts. These results suggest that P. endodontalis LPS has the ability to promote the expression of Wnt5a in mouse osteoblasts, and this induction is mainly mediated by NF-κB pathway. TRIB3 seems to modulate the sustained expression of Wnt5a in osteoblasts stimulated by P. endodontalis LPS, as well as regulating NF-κB phosphorylation.

Epidemiological comparison of clinical manifestations according to HLA-B*27 carrier status of Chinese ankylosing spondylitis patients

The aim of the study was to investigate and compare the clinical manifestations between HLA-B27(+) and HLA-B27(-) ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients in order to obtain knowledge of the impact of HLA-B27 status on AS, and to inform clinical treatment. A nationwide epidemiological investigation was performed from November 2008 to October 2010. The demographic data and clinical characteristics, and the status of HLA-B27 were collected using questionnaires and laboratory assay, respectively. A total of 2144 patients (78.5% males and 78.4% HLA-B27(+) AS patients) participated in this study. The percentages of males, patients with family history, and involvement of lumbar spine, thoracic spine and hip joints, were observed to be significantly higher in the HLA-B27(+) AS patients than in their HLA-B27(-) AS peers.

CRM1 inhibition induces tumor cell cytotoxicity and impairs osteoclastogenesis in multiple myeloma: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic implications

The key nuclear export protein CRM1/XPO1 may represent a promising novel therapeutic target in human multiple myeloma (MM). Here we showed that chromosome region maintenance 1 (CRM1) is highly expressed in patients with MM, plasma cell leukemia cells and increased in patient cells resistant to bortezomib treatment. CRM1 expression also correlates with increased lytic bone and shorter survival. Importantly, CRM1 knockdown inhibits MM cell viability. Novel, oral, irreversible selective inhibitors of nuclear export (SINEs) targeting CRM1 (KPT-185, KPT-330) induce cytotoxicity against MM cells (ED50<200 nM), alone and cocultured with bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) or osteoclasts (OC). SINEs trigger nuclear accumulation of multiple CRM1 cargo tumor suppressor proteins followed by growth arrest and apoptosis in MM cells. They further block c-myc, Mcl-1, and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) activity. SINEs induce proteasome-dependent CRM1 protein degradation; concurrently, they upregulate CRM1, p53-targeted, apoptosis-related, anti-inflammatory and stress-related gene transcripts in MM cells. In SCID mice with diffuse human MM bone lesions, SINEs show strong anti-MM activity, inhibit MM-induced bone lysis and prolong survival. Moreover, SINEs directly impair osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption via blockade of RANKL-induced NF-κB and NFATc1, with minimal impact on osteoblasts and BMSCs. These results support clinical development of SINE CRM1 antagonists to improve patient outcome in MM.

Differential diagnosis of Moniezia benedeni and M. expansa (Anoplocephalidae) by PCR using markers in small ribosomal DNA (18S rDNA)

Moniezia benedeni and M. expansa are common ruminant tapeworms of worldwide distribution, causing gastrointestinal disorders and even death in sheep and goats. In this study, a polymerase chain reaction- (PCR-) based approach for precise species identification was developed and also applied to faecal DNA diagnosis of the tapeworm infection. Since nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) appears to be a useful target for species and/or strain markers, the 18S regions of the rDNA of M. benedeni and M. expansa were amplified and sequenced. The lengths and GC contents of the regions sequenced were 2476-2487 bp and 51.9-52.1% for M. benedeni and 2473 bp and 51.9-52.0% for M. expansa, respectively. Alignment and comparison of the 18S sequences of the two species showed 92.5-93.3% homology. No matches for the 18S regions of M. benedeni and M. expansa were found with other species by BLAST search, which made the 18S sequences appropriate markers for the design of distinctive primers for the two Moniezia species. Our 18S-based PCR could detect as low levels as 0.5 pg genomic DNA or the DNA extracted from 0.2 g faecal sample collected from the rectum of an M. expansa-infected goat. The results indicate that this PCR approach is a reliable alternative for the differential diagnosis of Moniezia species in faecal samples.

(18)F-FDG-PET/CT imaging in an IL-6- and MYC-driven mouse model of human multiple myeloma affords objective evaluation of plasma cell tumor progression and therapeutic response to the proteasome inhibitor ixazomib

(18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and computed tomography (CT) are useful imaging modalities for evaluating tumor progression and treatment responses in genetically engineered mouse models of solid human cancers, but the potential of integrated FDG-PET/CT for assessing tumor development and new interventions in transgenic mouse models of human blood cancers such as multiple myeloma (MM) has not been demonstrated. Here we use BALB/c mice that contain the newly developed iMyc(ΔEμ) gene insertion and the widely expressed H2-L(d)-IL6 transgene to demonstrate that FDG-PET/CT affords an excellent research tool for assessing interleukin-6- and MYC-driven plasma cell tumor (PCT) development in a serial, reproducible and stage- and lesion-specific manner. We also show that FDG-PET/CT permits determination of objective drug responses in PCT-bearing mice treated with the investigational proteasome inhibitor ixazomib (MLN2238), the biologically active form of ixazomib citrate (MLN9708), that is currently in phase 3 clinical trials in MM. Overall survival of 5 of 6 ixazomib-treated mice doubled compared with mice left untreated. One outlier mouse presented with primary refractory disease. Our findings demonstrate the utility of FDG-PET/CT for preclinical MM research and suggest that this method will play an important role in the design and testing of new approaches to treat myeloma.

P5-18-09: The Incidence of Febrile Neutropenia in the First Course of Adjuvant Chemotherapy with Docetaxel/Cyclophosphamide with or without Pegfilgrastim

Background

In our original doxorubicin-cyclophosphamide/docetaxel-cyclophosphamide (AC/TC) adjuvant study (JCO 27: 1177–1183, 2009), we reported an incidence of febrile neutropenia (FN) of 5% (8% in women ≥65 years) with the TC regimen without prophylactic WBC growth factors but with a recommendation for prophylactic antibiotics. There is a paucity of data on the incidence of FN with the TC regimen aside from this clinical trial. Because we have been conducting a randomized adjuvant study of TC compared to other regimens, we used this opportunity to analyze the incidence of FN during the first course of chemotherapy with TC in the first cohort of randomized patients (US Oncology Network study 06090). The prophylactic use of WBC growth factors was at the investigator's discretion.

Patients and Methods

The study included 1298 patients entered between May 2007 and May 2009. Of these, 649 were included in the TC arm. Median age was 54 years (range 27–71), 75.5% were Caucasian, 561 (86.4%) were in PS 0 at baseline, and about half were node negative. Eight patients did not receive study treatment for various reasons. Among the 641 patients who received TC; 213 (33.3%) received pegfilgrastim, 48 (7.5%) received filgrastim and were not included in this analysis, and 380 (59.2%) patients did not receive either during the first cycle. Thus, this analysis focused on 593 women who did or did not receive prophylactic pegfilgrastim in cycle 1.

Results: All patients with a reported adverse event of FN or with a reported AE of fever with some degree of neutropenia (in order to capture all possible cases of FN) during the first cycle of TC were identified [Table 1]. FN and fever + neutropenia occurred in a total of 6 (2.8%) patients who received pegfilgrastim and 36 (9.5%) patients who did not. A comparison of age, race, performance status and stage of disease between these 2 groups revealed that they were similar. The 213 patients who received pegfilgrastim were slightly older (median 56 years, range 27–71) compared to those who did not (median 53 years, range 30–71).

Complete mitochondrial genomes of Taenia multiceps, T. hydatigena and T. pisiformis: additional molecular markers for a tapeworm genus of human and animal health significance

Background

Mitochondrial genomes provide a rich source of molecular variation of proven and widespread utility in molecular ecology, population genetics and evolutionary biology. The tapeworm genus Taenia includes a diversity of tapeworm parasites of significant human and veterinary importance. Here we add complete sequences of the mt genomes of T. multiceps, T. hydatigena and T. pisiformis, to a data set of 4 published mtDNAs in the same genus. Seven complete mt genomes of Taenia species are used to compare and contrast variation within and between genomes in the genus, to estimate a phylogeny for the genus, and to develop novel molecular markers as part of an extended mitochondrial toolkit.

Results

The complete circular mtDNAs of T. multiceps, T. hydatigena and T. pisiformis were 13,693, 13,492 and 13,387 bp in size respectively, comprising the usual complement of flatworm genes. Start and stop codons of protein coding genes included those found commonly amongst other platyhelminth mt genomes, but the much rarer initiation codon GTT was inferred for the gene atp6 in T. pisiformis. Phylogenetic analysis of mtDNAs offered novel estimates of the interrelationships of Taenia. Sliding window analyses showed nad6, nad5, atp6, nad3 and nad2 are amongst the most variable of genes per unit length, with the highest peaks in nucleotide diversity found in nad5. New primer pairs capable of amplifying fragments of variable DNA in nad1, rrnS and nad5 genes were designed in silico and tested as possible alternatives to existing mitochondrial markers for Taenia.

Conclusions

With the availability of complete mtDNAs of 7 Taenia species, we have shown that analysis of amino acids provides a robust estimate of phylogeny for the genus that differs markedly from morphological estimates or those using partial genes; with implications for understanding the evolutionary radiation of important Taenia. Full alignment of the nucleotides of Taenia mtDNAs and sliding window analysis suggests numerous alternative gene regions are likely to capture greater nucleotide variation than those currently pursued as molecular markers. New PCR primers developed from a comparative mitogenomic analysis of Taenia species, extend the use of mitochondrial markers for molecular ecology, population genetics and diagnostics.

Three-Year Follow-Up of Survival and Progression in a Phase II Trial of Gemcitabine Plus Carboplatin (Plus Trastuzumab in HER2+ Patients) in Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients

Background: We have previously reported (Loesch, et al. Clin Breast Cancer, 2008) the efficacy and safety of gemcitabine and carboplatin with or without trastuzumab in patients with metastatic breast cancer. We now report time-to-progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) after up to 3.5 years of extended follow-up.Patients and Methods: Patients were stratified into 3 groups at registration; Group 1: HER2 positive (+) regardless of prior taxane; Group 2: HER2 negative (–) and taxane naïve or remote (no taxanes within the past 2 years); and Group 3: HER2– and taxane pretreated. Women ≥18 years of age, with ECOG performance status 0-2, with RECIST-defined measurable disease, and either HER2– or HER2+ (3+ score) by immunohistochemistry or fluorescence in situ hybridization were enrolled. Treatment: Day 1 gemcitabine 1500 mg/m2 over 30 minutes followed by carboplatin AUC=2.5 repeated every 14 days up to Cycle 9. Group 1 also received trastuzumab 8 mg/kg in Cycle 1 followed by 4 mg/kg in Cycles 2-9, followed thereafter by 6 mg/kg every 21 days until progression or intolerable toxicity.Results: A total of 150 patients were registered (50, 51, and 49 in Groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively). Median follow-up for surviving patients, calculated from registration, was 31.3, 27.1, and 25.4 months, respectively. Median TTP (calculated as progression-free survival), was 7.2, 5.6, and 4.6 months, respectively. Median OS (range) has not been reached for Group 1 (range, 1.2-46.9); for Group 2 was 21.7 months (&lt;1-44.3); and, for Group 3 was 11.9 months (&lt;1-33.6). At 24-months, survival rates were 73.3%, 41.4%, and 20.5%, respectively; at 36-months, survival rates were 60.6%, 25.7%, and ≤8.3%, respectively. For Group 1 only, the remaining 3 responding patients were followed for 3.5 years, at which time they were relapse-free.Conclusions: Gemcitabine plus carboplatin with or without trastuzumab has been shown to be highly active in metastatic breast cancer. HER2+ patients receiving trastuzumab had the highest TTP and survival rates of all treatment groups. As expected, taxane-pretreated patients had shortened TTP and decreased OS rates compared to taxane-naïve patients.Research support was provided, in part, by Lilly USA, LLC; Indianapolis, IN.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 2105.

The multi-institutional myeloma group clinico-genomic risk stratification system: A blinded validation

8521

Background: Several clinical and molecular prognostic factors (e.g, International Staging System [ISS] stage, plasma cell labeling index, genomic models) exist for multiple myeloma (MM). We hypothesized that exploiting gene signatures representative of oncogenic pathway deregulation (i.e., Ras, Myc, etc.), would improve MM prognostication and also aid with the identification of novel therapeutic targets. Methods: Using a discovery cohort (n=47) of patients with MM and corresponding gene expression data, we built upon current molecular risk-stratification and devised a Bayesian genomic (“metagene”) model for prognosis. We validated that model in an independent patient cohort (n=207). Finally, we incorporated ISS staging and clinical variables to construct a combined Clinico-Genomic Risk Stratification System. We further validated the combined model in a separate cohort (n=72), in a blinded manner. Results: Using gene signatures predictive of oncogenic pathway activation in the discovery cohort, we identified specific patterns (metagenes) of signaling pathway activation with prognostic relevance. In an independent validation cohort, this metagene-based model accurately predicted event free survival (EFS) independently of ISS (multivariate hazard ratio [HR] 3.4 for ISS stage, and 5.4 for the metagene model, p=0.002). Using multivariate risk modeling, we incorporated ISS staging and the metagene model into a Clinico-Genomic System and successfully stratified the validation cohort into three groups (low, intermediate, and high risk) with markedly different EFS (HR 4.2 for intermediate risk and 14.0 for high risk vs. the low risk cohort, p<0.0001). In an additional blinded validation, the Clinico-Genomic System again accurately predicted median overall survival (68.7 [low risk] vs 24.7 [intermediate risk] vs 18.7 months [high risk], p<0.0001); more accurately than either ISS or other reported genomic models. Conclusions: A combined Clinico-Genomic Risk Stratification System, building on patterns of oncogenic pathway activation and ISS staging system, improves upon current prognostic models in MM and identifies novel pathway targets for future therapeutic consideration.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Desorption and ripening of low density InAs quantum dots

In this paper, combining low deposition rate with proper growth temperature, we have developed a way to prepare very low-density quantum dots (QDs) suited for the study of single QD properties without resorting to submicron lithography. Experiment results demonstrate that InAs desorption is significant during growing the low density QDs. Ripening of InAs QDs is clearly observed during the post-growth annealing. Photoluminescence spectroscopy reveals that the emission wavelength of low density InAs QDs arrives at 1332.4 nm with a GaAs capping layer.

Phase II trial of docetaxel and oxaliplatin in patients with advanced gastric cancer and/or adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction

BACKGROUND

Platinum-based chemotherapy is the standard treatment for advanced gastric cancer (GC). This trial explored the efficacy and tolerability of combined docetaxel (Taxotere) + oxaliplatin (DOCOX) in GC patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with untreated stage IV GC or adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction (AGEJ) received docetaxel 60 mg/m(2) followed by oxaliplatin 130 mg/m(2) on day 1 of each 21-day cycle until progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary end points were response rate (RR), toxicity, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

Baseline characteristics (N = 71): median age 59 years, 72% male, 51% esophagogastric junction cancer, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of zero, one, two were 42%, 51%, 7%, respectively. The median number of cycles was 6 (range, 1-19). Grades 3-4 toxic effects: neutropenia (70%); vomiting (17%); nausea (16%); dehydration, fatigue, or diarrhea (13%, each); and thrombocytopenia or febrile neutropenia (7%, each). Sixty-six patients completed >/=2 cycles. The RR was 36% with 25 partial response (PR) and no complete responses (CRs); stable disease (SD) was 49%. Clinical benefit rate (CBR = CR + PR + SD >/=6 months) was 40%; median PFS was 4.3 months, and OS was 8.5 months.

CONCLUSIONS

DOCOX produced manageable toxicity in patients with advanced GC and AGEJ. The confirmed RR of 36%, CBR of 40%, and median survival of 8.5 months are encouraging and comparable to standard front-line regimens.

In vivo changes in gene expression profiles (GEP) after bortezomib (V) for multiple myeloma (MM): Differential effects on plasma cells (PC) and micro-environment (ME)

7603

Introduction: V, a proteasome inhibitor with potent anti-myeloma activity, is thought to act through effects on malignant PC and the ME. However, the in vivo effects of this drug have never been examined at the molecular level. Methods: Serial GEP analyses were performed of paired purified PC and bone marrow biopsies from 46 patients, obtained prior to and 48hr following administration of a single V dose at 1mg/m2. RNA was isolated from whole biopsies and purified PCs from each sample, converted to cRNA, and hybridized to Affymetrix U133 Plus2 microarrays. SAM analysis with 5% false discovery rate was employed to identify drug-altered genes. Results: Following V, 36 ME-associated genes (MAGs) were up-regulated, among them the osteoinductive factor osteoglycin (OGN), consistent with a V effect on osteoblastogenesis; CYR61, an angiogenesis inducer, significantly over-expressed in myeloma relative to normal marrow, was one of only 3 significantly down-regulated genes. V is known to induce expression of proteasome genes and PSMA6, PSMA1, and PSMA14 were among 15 genes up-regulated in PC. In contrast, early growth response (EGR1, EGR2, and EGR3), Krupple-like factor (KLR4, KLR5, KLR6, and KLR7) and nuclear receptor (NR4A1, NR4A2, and NR4A3) family members were down-regulated in PC by V. These differential PC and ME expression changes were only noted in low-risk MM, lacking over-expression of CKS1B. Conclusion: We report here, for the first time, on the differential molecular consequences of a single in-vivo dose of V on both tumor cells and cells of the microenvironment. The clinical implications of these findings are being further investigated and will be presented.

[Table: see text]

Phase II multicenter trial of docetaxel+oxaliplatin in stage IV gastroesophageal and/or stomach cancer

4071

Background: The treatment of adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction /stomach (AGEJ/S) remains a therapeutic challenge. This study was conducted to explore the efficacy and safety profile of the combination of docetaxel+oxaliplatin in patients with previously untreated advanced AGEJ/S. Docetaxel has shown significant single-agent activity and has recently been shown to increase response rates and overall survival when combined with cisplatin plus 5-FU. Oxaliplatin is associated with a more favorable safety profile compared to other platinum-based drugs (ie, cisplatin). Methods: Patients with metastatic (Stage IV) AGEJ/S were eligible. Treatment consisted of docetaxel 60 mg/m2 over 1 hour IV followed by oxaliplatin 130 mg/m2 over 2 hours on Day 1 of each 21-day cycle. Patients were treated until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity; primary endpoints are response rate, toxicity, and progression free and overall survival. Results: We have enrolled all planned eligible patients (N = 71). Baseline characteristics include a median age of 59.5 years, 72% male patients, 76% white, and ECOG PS scores 0/1/2 of 45%/49%/6%, respectively. 32.8% of patients had distal gastric cancer (fundus or pylorus). The median number of cycles delivered to date is 6 (range, 1–14). Twenty patients (31%) have required dose reductions primarily due to neutropenia. Grade 3–4 toxicities include neutropenia (69%); vomiting (17%); nausea (16%); dehydration, fatigue, and diarrhea (13%, each), and thrombocytopenia and febrile neutropenia (7%, each). Sixty-six patients have completed ≥2 cycles. The best overall confirmed response rate, by RECIST, was 24 PR (35.6%) for an overall response rate of 35.6%. Median time to response was 2.4 months and median duration of response was 4.1 months. Median survival was 9.2 months and median PFS was 4.4 months. Conclusions: The combination of docetaxel and oxaliplatin is associated with manageable toxicity in this group of patients with AGEJ/S. The best overall response rate of 35% and median survival of 9.2 months is encouraging and comparable to other standard front-line regimens. This research was supported, in part, from a research grant from sanofi-aventis.

[Table: see text]

Gene expression fingerprint of uterine serous papillary carcinoma: identification of novel molecular markers for uterine serous cancer diagnosis and therapy

Uterine serous papillary cancer (USPC) represents a rare but highly aggressive variant of endometrial cancer, the most common gynecologic tumour in women. We used oligonucleotide microarrays that interrogate the expression of some 10 000 known genes to profile 10 highly purified primary USPC cultures and five normal endometrial cells (NEC). We report that unsupervised analysis of mRNA fingerprints readily distinguished USPC from normal endometrial epithelial cells and identified 139 and 390 genes that exhibited >5-fold upregulation and downregulation, respectively, in primary USPC when compared to NEC. Many of the genes upregulated in USPC were found to represent adhesion molecules, secreted proteins and oncogenes, such as L1 cell adhesion molecule, claudin-3 and claudin-4, kallikrein 6 (protease M) and kallikrein 10 (NES1), interleukin-6 and c-erbB2. Downregulated genes in USPC included SEMACAP3, ras homolog gene family, member I (ARHI), and differentially downregulated in ovarian carcinoma gene 1. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to validate differences in gene expression between USPC and NEC for several of these genes. Owing to its potential as a novel therapeutic marker, expression of the high-affinity epithelial receptor for Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) claudin-4 was further validated through immunohistochemical analysis of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens from which the primary USPC cultures were obtained, as well as an independent set of archival USPC specimens. Finally, the sensitivity of primary USPC to the administration of scalar doses of CPE in vitro was also demonstrated. Our results highlight the novel molecular features of USPC and provide a foundation for the development of new type-specific therapies against this highly aggressive variant of endometrial cancer.

Discrimination between uterine serous papillary carcinomas and ovarian serous papillary tumours by gene expression profiling

High-grade ovarian serous papillary cancer (OSPC) and uterine serous papillary carcinoma (USPC) represent two histologically similar malignancies characterised by markedly different biological behavior and response to chemotherapy. Understanding the molecular basis of these differences may significantly refine differential diagnosis and management, and may lead to the development of novel, more specific and more effective treatment modalities for OSPC and USPC. We used an oligonucleotide microarray with probe sets complementary to >10 000 human genes to determine whether patterns of gene expression may differentiate OSPC from USPC. Hierarchical cluster analysis of gene expression in OSPC and USPC identified 116 genes that exhibited >two-fold differences (P<0.05) and that readily distinguished OSPC from USPC. Plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-2) was the most highly overexpressed gene in OSPC when compared to USPC, while c-erbB2 was the most strikingly overexpressed gene in USPC when compared to OSPC. Overexpression of the c-erbB2 gene and its expression product (i.e., HER-2/neu receptor) was validated by quantitative RT-PCR as well as by flow cytometry on primary USPC and OSPC, respectively. Immunohistochemical staining of serous tumour samples from which primary OSPC and USPC cultures were derived as well as from an independent set of 20 clinical tissue samples (i.e., 10 OSPC and 10 USPC) further confirmed HER-2/neu as a novel molecular diagnostic and therapeutic marker for USPC. Gene expression fingerprints have the potential to predict the anatomical site of tumour origin and readily identify the biologically more aggressive USPC from OSPC. A therapeutic strategy targeting HER-2/neu may be beneficial in patients harbouring chemotherapy-resistant USPC.

High-level expression of cancer/testis antigen NY-ESO-1 and human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in dendritic cells with a bicistronic retroviral vector

Tumor-specific genes delivered to dendritic cells (DCs) have been used for the generation of cytotoxic T cells (CTLs), but their application has been limited on the one hand by low viral titers resulting in low transduction efficiency and poor protein production, and on the other hand by immunogenicity of the selectable marker and poor viability of the DCs. We addressed these limitations by creating a multipurpose master vector (pMV) and cloning the tumor gene NY-ESO-1, which is highly expressed in more than 50% of advanced myeloma patients. pMV was constructed from a Moloney murine leukemia virus (Mo-MuLV)-based retroviral backbone with the following features: (1) an extended packaging signal to achieve high viral titers, (2) a splice acceptor region to facilitate protein production, (3) a nonimmunogenic selectable marker, dihydrofolate reductase-L22Y (DHFR(L22Y)), to exclude the generation of CTLs against the selectable marker, (4) an internal ribosomal entry site between the tumor-specific gene (NY-ESO-1) and the selectable marker DHFR(L22Y) for coexpression of two heterologous gene products from a single bicistronic mRNA, minimizing the possibility of differential expression of these two genes, and (5) human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (hGM-CSF) cDNA driven by the human T-lymphotropic virus promoter to enhance DC function and viability. Recombinant virus of pMV-NY-ESO-1 was generated with vesicular stomatitis virus G envelope protein (VSV-G) in the GP2-293 cell line for efficient transduction. We present evidence that the DC phenotype is unaltered after transduction and that more than 85% of DCs express NY-ESO-1, which secrete approximately 40 ng of GM-CSF per 10(6) DCs.

[Differentially expressed cDNA sequences homologous with known genes in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma]

In order to search the tumor suppressor genes correlated with pathogenesis of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC), we applied the PCR-based subtractive hybridization technique of representational difference analysis (RDA) to the primary culture cells of normal human nasopharyngeal epithelial and HNE1, a poorly differentiated NPC cell line. Following four successive subtractions of HNE1 complementary DNA from normal human nasopharyngeal epithelial cells complementary DNA, difference products were cloned into pGEM-T easy vector and nucleotide sequences determined. Comparison of cDNA sequences against the databases identified 9 known genes. Known genes included TRIP1(TGF beta receptor interacting protein), TAF, ezrin, MHC II, actinin, Histone H1 zero, Cytokeratin 13, Squalene Synthetase and RNA Synthetase-like. Some of them have an effective suppressive ability on the tumor. In this study, we have demonstrated that cDNA RDA is an effective strategy for systematically isolating differences in gene expression between two related but functionally distinct cells. Our results also indicated that the NPC includes interaction of multigenes and this experiment offers a new route for NPC research.

The effect of sildenafil on nitric oxide-mediated vasodilation in healthy men

BACKGROUND

Sildenafil, a treatment for erectile dysfunction, is a specific phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE 5) inhibitor that enhances nitric oxide (NO)-mediated vasodilation in the corpus cavernosum by inhibiting cyclic guanosine monophosphate breakdown. Since PDE 5 is widely expressed in the vasculature, we examined the hypothesis that sildenafil could enhance NO-mediated vasodilation in other vascular beds and improve endothelial function.

METHODS

NO-mediated responses to acetylcholine (endothelium-dependent) and nitroglycerin (endothelium-independent) were measured in healthy men in the dorsal hand vein (n = 13), after the administration of either sildenafil 50 mg or placebo. Flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery and forearm postischemic reactive hyperemia were measured before and after sildenafil 50 mg, isosorbide dinitrate 5 mg, and placebo in a double-blind, randomized, crossover study (n = 11).

RESULTS

In the hand vein, sildenafil administration increased sensitivity to local nitroglycerin. The 50% effective dose decreased approximately 4-fold from 13.5 ng/min (range, 6.9-26.6 ng/min) to 2.7 ng/min (range, 1.1-6.4 ng/min) (P =.025). Sildenafil decreased the maximum venoconstriction induced by phenylephrine from 81% +/- 3% to 74% +/- 3% (P =.025). Sildenafil did not significantly affect the maximal venodilatory response to acetylcholine (35% +/- 7% after placebo versus 32% +/- 8% after sildenafil) (P =.7). In the arterial vasculature, flow-mediated dilation before (2.4% +/- 1%) and after (2.8% +/- 1.4%) sildenafil (P =.8) and postischemic reactive hyperemia area under the curve before (1807 +/- 393 mL. min. s/100 mL) and after (1467 +/- 257 mL. min. s/100 mL) sildenafil were not different (P =.8). Resting heart rate, blood pressure, and resting brachial artery diameter were unchanged after sildenafil administration. Isosorbide dinitrate, an endothelium-independent vasodilator, caused a significant increase in resting brachial artery diameter from 0.53 +/- 0.01 cm to 0.56 +/- 0.02 cm (P =.005), without altering flow-mediated dilation.

CONCLUSIONS

In healthy men sildenafil increased sensitivity to nitroglycerin, an exogenous NO donor, approximately 4-fold but did not affect endothelium-dependent, NO-mediated responses in either the hand vein or forearm vasculature. Differential vascular responses to sildenafil may localize its enhancement of endogenous NO-mediated vasodilation to vascular beds such as the corpus cavernosum.

Cyclin D3 at 6p21 is dysregulated by recurrent chromosomal translocations to immunoglobulin loci in multiple myeloma

Reciprocal chromosomal translocations, which are mediated by errors in immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) switch recombination or somatic hypermutation as plasma cells are generated in germinal centers, are present in most multiple myeloma (MM) tumors. These translocations dysregulate an oncogene that is repositioned in proximity to a strong IgH enhancer. There is a promiscuous array of nonrandom chromosomal partners (and oncogenes), with the 3 most frequent partners (11q13 [cyclin D1]; 4p16 [FGFR3 and MMSET]; 16q23 [c-maf]) involved in nearly half of MM tumors. It is now shown that a novel t(6;14)(p21;q32) translocation is present in 1 of 30 MM cell lines and that this cell line uniquely overexpresses cyclin D3. The cloned breakpoint juxtaposes gamma 4 switch sequences with 6p21 sequences that are located about 65 kb centromeric to the cyclin D3 gene. By metaphase chromosome analysis, the t(6;14) (p21;q32) translocation was identified in 6 of 150 (4%) primary MM tumors. Overexpression of cyclin D3 messenger RNA (mRNA) was identified by microarray RNA expression analysis in 3 of 53 additional primary MM tumors, each of which was found to have a t(6;14) translocation breakpoint by interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis. One tumor has a t(6;22)(p21;q11) translocation, so that cyclin D3 is bracketed by the IgL and IgH breakpoints. These results provide the first clear evidence for primary dysregulation of cyclin D3 during tumorigenesis. It is suggested that the initial oncogenic event for most MM tumors is a primary immunoglobulin translocation that dysregulates cyclin D1, cyclin D3, and other oncogenes to provide a proliferative stimulus to postgerminal center plasma cells.

[Effect of various cavity design, lining and restorative materials on the fracture resistance of teeth]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the influence of various cavity designs, lining and restorative materials on fracture resistance of teeth in vitro.

METHODS

Factorial design with three factors and various levels was used. 36 extracted human maxillary premalors were prepared for occlusal cavity, MO cavity and MOD cavity. Various base material and restorations were used. All teeth were thermocycled and mounted for testing and then were loaded until fracture. The results were analyzed by a three-way ANOVA. Fracture patterns were observed at the same time.

RESULTS

There was significant difference in fracture resistance among various cavity designs and restorations. The fracture patterns were different.

CONCLUSIONS

The different classes of cavities and various restorations have significantly influence upon fracture resistance of teeth. There are interactions between cavities and restorations.

c-myc gene inactivation during induction of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells with retinoic acid

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of retinoic acid (RA) on the growth, morphology, oncogene expression and regulation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells.

METHODS

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line (HNE1) was induced by RA. The RA-treated and control cells were established and cellular morphology and growth patterns were defined. Oncogene expression and regulation were detected by Northern hybridization and DNase-I hypersensitive site analysis.

RESULTS

RA markedly inhibited cell growth. The growth of HNE1 cells was reduced to 50% of the control level on the 4th day of RA (10(-4) mol/L) treatment. After 4 days of treatment, the rapidly growing polygonal cells were reversed into a slow growing phenotype, with flattened morphology similar to fibroblast-like cells. Northern hybridization showed that c-myc and c-Ha-ras expression was high in HNE1 cells and undetectable in normal blood cells. c-myc was down-regulated at 48 h of RA treatment. In contrast, the c-Ha-ras was not affected. DNase I hypersensitive site analysis detected changes in the regulatory elements of c-myc and c-Ha-ras genes. 5 hypersensitive sites were found in the c-myc of HNE1 cells, while 3 hypersensitive sites disappeared upon HNE1 induction. However, only 1 hypersensitive site was found in c-Ha-ras of RA treated cells and controls. In normal peripheral white blood cells, no DNase I hypersensitive sites were found in the inactive c-myc and c-Ha-ras gene.

CONCLUSION

RA can induce differentiation in a nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line at high concentration of RA; HNE1 shows some similar patterns of DNase I hypersensitive sites with the common one in other types of cells expressing c-myc. The repression of c-myc expression with induction is accompanied by the loss of 3 DNase-I hypersensitive sites; c-myc has more than one inactive conformation.

[Molecular cloning of a novel gene located on chromosome 3p25.3 and an analysis of its expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma]

OBJECTIVE

To obtain the novel genes associated with human nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC) on chromosome 3p24-26.

METHODS

Twenty epithelial-derived expressed sequence tags(EST) were selected from chromosome 3p24-26 where loss of heterozygosity(LOH) frequently occurs in NPC tissues. Primers were designed based on the sequences of these ESTs. RT-PCR was used to amply their corresponding cDNA fragments from NPC cell line HNE1 and primary cultures of normal nasopharyngeal epithelial cells. The differential expression of two ESTs, T93093 and R41598, was confirmed by Northern blot. Then, expression of EST T93093 was further detected in 7 normal nasopharyngeal and 19 NPC biopsies. cDNA library screening was used to get its full cDNA sequence and the sequence of this novel gene was analyzed by bioinformatics.

RESULTS

Thirteen ESTs(T62511, N39155, N68660, R61275, T95314, R06143, H52697, H66521, AA128685, AA284537, N52379, AA054180, and H98090) showed the similar expression level and 5 ESTs(R00732, R07573, R98052, H91759, H17566) showed no expression in both types of cells. EST T93093 was down-expressed, whereas EST R41598 up-expressed in NPC HNE1 cells. The EST T93093 was also found to be down-expressed in 26.3%(5/19) of NPC biopsies. The full length cDNA of this gene was obtained and named NAG-7, which is located at chromosome 3p25.3. Its 1677 bp full length cDNA has a potential open reading frame(ORF) predicting a 94 amino acid protein with a molecular weight of 11023.87 Dalton. Bioinformatics analysis of the NAG-7 gene shows that it is a transmembrane protein containing a protein kinase C(PKC) phosphorylation site and a myristyl site. It has no significant homology to any reported genes in database of GenBank(AF086709).

CONCLUSION

NAG-7 is a novel gene down-expressed in NPC, which may be involved in the development of NPC.

A cDNA located on chromosome 7q32 shows loss of expression in epithelial cell line of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

To isolate and clone the tumor suppressor gene on chromosomal region 7q32 correlated with the carcinogenesis of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

METHODS

The genotypes of polymorphic microsatellite markers on 7q32 in DNA from 24 biopsies of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and matched normal blood cells were identified. The expression levels of 20 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) on 7q32 between human nasopharyngeal carcinoma epithelial 1 (HNE1) and primary cultures of normal nasopharyngeal epithelial (PNNE) cells were compared using differential RT-PCR and Northern hybridization. The quantity of AA070437 DNA and mRNA was detected by differential PCR and differential RT-PCR, respectively.

RESULTS

Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) was found in 25%-46% of NPC biopsies. AA070437 EST expression was down-regulated in HNE1 cell compared to PNNE cells. The down-regulation of AA070437 was found in 30.7% of NPC biopsies and allelic loss of AA070437 was observed in 29.1% of NPC biopsies.

CONCLUSION

Our results show that AA070437 EST is negatively related with the occurrence of human NPC and may represent a candidate tumor suppressor gene of NPC on 7q32.

[The expression in situ of transforming growth factor beta s, their receptors and TGF beta-receptor interacting protein-1 in nasopharygneal carcinoma]

OBJECTIVE

To study the expression of transforming growth factor(TGF) beta s, their receptors and TGF beta-receptor interacting protein-1 (TRIP-1) in nasopharygneal carcinoma.

METHODS

Immunohistochemical technology and in situ hybridization methods were adopted to detect the TRIP-1 mRNA and 3 kinds of TGF beta isoforms and 2 kinds of TGF beta receptors protein in the same biopsy specimen.

RESULTS

The positive expression of TGF beta 1, TGF beta 2, TGF beta 3, TGF beta R I and TGF beta R II was stronger in the tumor adjacent epithelium than in the tumor itself, which were 65.79%, 66.67%, 55.26%, 48.57% and 63.16% higher than those in the tumor itself respectively(P < 0.01). The level of TRIP-1mRNA measured in the epithelial cells was also higher than that in the tumor cells (19.32 +/- 10.70 versus 11.96 +/- 5.85, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The signal transmission of TGF beta family is diminished in the poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of nasopharynx. It may be a factor for the development of nasopharygneal carcinoma.