SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in the first year after hematopoietic cell transplant or chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy: A prospective, multicenter, observational study (BMT CTN 2101)

Background

The optimal timing of vaccination with SARS-CoV-2 vaccines after cellular therapy is incompletely understood.

Objective

To describe humoral and cellular responses after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination initiated <4 months versus 4-12 months after cellular therapy.

Design

Multicenter prospective observational study.

Setting

34 centers in the United States.

Participants

466 allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT; n=231), autologous HCT (n=170), or chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T cell) therapy (n=65) recipients enrolled between April 2021 and June 2022.

Interventions

SARS-CoV-2 vaccination as part of routine care.

Measurements

We obtained blood prior to and after vaccinations at up to five time points and tested for SARS-CoV-2 spike (anti-S) IgG in all participants and neutralizing antibodies for Wuhan D614G, Delta B.1.617.2, and Omicron B.1.1.529 strains, as well as SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell receptors (TCRs), in a subgroup.

Results

Anti-S IgG and neutralizing antibody responses increased with vaccination in HCT recipients irrespective of vaccine initiation timing but were unchanged in CAR-T cell recipients initiating vaccines within 4 months. Anti-S IgG ≥2,500 U/mL was correlated with high neutralizing antibody titers and attained by the last time point in 70%, 69%, and 34% of allogeneic HCT, autologous HCT, and CAR-T cell recipients, respectively. SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses were attained in 57%, 83%, and 58%, respectively. Humoral and cellular responses did not significantly differ among participants initiating vaccinations <4 months vs 4-12 months after cellular therapy. Pre-cellular therapy SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination were key predictors of post-cellular therapy anti-S IgG levels.

Limitations

The majority of participants were adults and received mRNA vaccines.

Conclusions

These data support starting mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccination three to four months after allogeneic HCT, autologous HCT, and CAR-T cell therapy.

Funding

National Marrow Donor Program, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, Novartis, LabCorp, American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Adaptive Biotechnologies, and the National Institutes of Health.

Identification and Automated Delineation of Radioresistant Biological Tumor Volume in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging Radiomics

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Widespread use of intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) has improved the tumor control rate of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, nearly 20% of the patients with local-advanced NPC would relapse after precise irradiation and 80% of the recurrent lesions occur within the high dose field, suggesting that there are radiation-resistant cancer cell subsets within the tumor. In this context, identification and contouring of radiation resistance region of NPC for dose escalation at primary IMRT could be advantageous. In this work, we proposed a two-step radiomics workflow to predict local relapse and the recurrent region of NPC before primary IMRT.

MATERIALS/METHODS

In this single-center, retrospective study, pre-treatment magnetic resonance (MR) sequences of T1-weighted imaging (T1-w) and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging (CET1-w) were collected from 800 patients of newly diagnosed and non-metastatic NPC between April 2009 and December 2015. The primary gross tumor volume (GTVp) of all patients and the actual recurrent lesion (GTVr) of patients who suffered from local recurrence were manually contoured for further analysis. A two-step complete radiomics workflow was designed to predict tumor recurrence and segment the region. First, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was utilized for radiomics features selection of GTVp and support vector machine (SVM) was adopted to predict the recurrence. If the model predicts a recurrence, then the workflow utilizes an improved 3D U-Net to segment the recurrent region. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC-AUC) was used to evaluate the performance of tumor recurrence prediction, and Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) was used to assess the consistence between the actual and predicted GTVr.

RESULTS

Of 800 NPC patients, 95 (11.9%) patients developed in-field local recurrence. For recurrence risk prediction, the SVM ensemble model (T1-w+CET1-w) was selected for further application with higher sensitivity. The average ROC-AUC, specificity, sensitivity of the SVM ensemble model in a 5-fold cross-validation and in the independent test set of 160 patients were 0.922, 0.922, 0.777 and 0.928, 0.915, 0.737, respectively. Moreover, for recurrent region segmentation, the multi-modality (T1-w+CET1-w) model was superior to the single-modality (T1-w or CET1-w) model. In an independent test set of 15 patients, the DSC, sensitivity and 95% Hausdorff Distance between actual and predicted GTVr was 0.549±0.176, 0.696±0.118 and 9.813±4.788 which was superior to 0.444±0.188, 0.497±0.218 and 12.047±5.361 of original 3D U-Net.

CONCLUSION

The proposed two-step radiomics workflow showed a good performance in predicting tumor recurrence of NPC. The predicted location of the recurrence lesion was all accurate, but there was still a certain difference between the volume of the automated delineated and actual GTVr, which needed to be further optimized to be used as biological tumor volume.

Validated graft-specific biomarkers identify patients at risk for chronic graft-versus-host disease and death

BACKGROUNDChronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is a serious complication of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). More accurate information regarding the risk of developing cGVHD is required. Bone marrow (BM) grafts contribute to lower cGVHD, which creates a dispute over whether risk biomarker scores should be used for peripheral blood (PB) and BM.METHODSDay 90 plasma proteomics from PB and BM recipients developing cGVHD revealed 5 risk markers that were added to 8 previous cGVHD markers to screen 982 HCT samples of 2 multicenter Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMTCTN) cohorts. Each marker was tested for its association with cause-specific hazard ratios (HRs) of cGVHD using Cox-proportional-hazards models. We paired these clinical studies with biomarker measurements in a mouse model of cGVHD.RESULTSSpearman correlations between DKK3 and MMP3 were significant in both cohorts. In BMTCTN 0201 multivariate analyses, PB recipients with 1-log increase in CXCL9 and DKK3 were 1.3 times (95% CI: 1.1-1.4, P = 0.001) and 1.9 times (95%CI: 1.1-3.2, P = 0.019) and BM recipients with 1-log increase in CXCL10 and MMP3 were 1.3 times (95%CI: 1.0-1.6, P = 0.018 and P = 0.023) more likely to develop cGVHD. In BMTCTN 1202, PB patients with high CXCL9 and MMP3 were 1.1 times (95%CI: 1.0-1.2, P = 0.037) and 1.2 times (95%CI: 1.0-1.3, P = 0.009) more likely to develop cGVHD. PB patients with high biomarkers had increased likelihood to develop cGVHD in both cohorts (22%-32% versus 8%-12%, P = 0.002 and P < 0.001, respectively). Mice showed elevated circulating biomarkers before the signs of cGVHD.CONCLUSIONBiomarker levels at 3 months after HCT identify patients at risk for cGVHD occurrence.FUNDINGNIH grants R01CA168814, R21HL139934, P01CA158505, T32AI007313, and R01CA264921.

SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in the first year after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant: a prospective, multicentre, observational study

Background

The optimal timing for SARS-CoV-2 vaccines within the first year after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) is poorly understood.

Methods

We conducted a prospective, multicentre, observational study of allogeneic HCT recipients who initiated SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations within 12 months of HCT. Participants were enrolled at 22 academic cancer centers across the United States. Participants of any age who were planning to receive a first post-HCT SARS-CoV-2 vaccine within 12 months of HCT were eligible. We obtained blood prior to and after each vaccine dose for up to four vaccine doses, with an end-of-study sample seven to nine months after enrollment. We tested for SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (anti-S) IgG; nucleocapsid protein (anti-N) IgG; neutralizing antibodies for Wuhan D614G, Delta B.1.617.2, and Omicron B.1.1.529 strains; and SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell receptors (TCRs). The primary outcome was a comparison of anti-S IgG titers at the post-V2 time point in participants initiating vaccinations <4 months versus 4-12 months after HCT using a propensity-adjusted analysis. We also evaluated factors associated with high-level anti-S IgG titers (≥2403 U/mL) in logistic regression models.

Findings

Between April 22, 2021 and November 17, 2021, 175 allogeneic HCT recipients were enrolled in the study, of whom all but one received mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. SARS-CoV-2 anti-S IgG titers, neutralizing antibody titers, and TCR breadth and depth did not significantly differ at all tested time points following the second vaccination among those initiating vaccinations <4 months versus 4-12 months after HCT. Anti-S IgG ≥2403 U/mL correlated with neutralizing antibody levels similar to those observed in a prior study of non-immunocompromised individuals, and 57% of participants achieved anti-S IgG ≥2403 U/mL at the end-of-study time point. In models adjusted for SARS-CoV-2 infection pre-enrollment, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination pre-HCT, CD19+ B-cell count, CD4+ T-cell count, and age (as applicable to the model), vaccine initiation timing was not associated with high-level anti-S IgG titers at the post-V2, post-V3, or end-of-study time points. Notably, prior graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) or use of immunosuppressive medications were not associated with high-level anti-S IgG titers. Grade ≥3 vaccine-associated adverse events were infrequent.

Interpretation

These data support starting mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccination three months after HCT, irrespective of concurrent GVHD or use of immunosuppressive medications. This is one of the largest prospective analyses of vaccination for any pathogen within the first year after allogeneic HCT and supports current guidelines for SARS-CoV-2 vaccination starting three months post-HCT. Additionally, there are few studies of mRNA vaccine formulations for other pathogens in HCT recipients, and these data provide encouraging proof-of-concept for the utility of early vaccination targeting additional pathogens with mRNA vaccine platforms.

Funding

National Marrow Donor Program, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, Novartis, LabCorp, American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Adaptive Biotechnologies, and the National Institutes of Health.

Real-world data showing trends and outcomes by race and ethnicity in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation: a report from the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research

BACKGROUND

Use of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-mismatched donors could enable more patients with ethnically diverse backgrounds to receive allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in the United States. However, real-world trends and outcomes following mismatched donor HCT for diverse patients remain largely undefined.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether mismatched donor platforms have increased access to allogeneic HCT for ethnically diverse patients, particularly through the application of novel graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) prophylaxis regimens, and if outcomes for diverse patients were comparable to those of non-Hispanic White patients.

DESIGN

Observational cross-sectional study using real-world data from the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) registry. All patients receiving their first allogeneic HCT in the U.S. from 2009-2020 with focus on transplants performed in 2020 were included. Data from patients receiving allogeneic HCT using bone marrow, peripheral blood or cord blood from HLA-matched or mismatched related and unrelated donors was analyzed. Specifically, relative proportions of allogeneic HCT were generated as percent of total for donor type and for patient age, disease indication, GvHD prophylaxis, and race and ethnicity. Causes of death were summarized using frequencies, and the Kaplan-Meier estimator was used for estimating overall survival.

RESULTS

Compared to matched related donor and matched unrelated donor HCT, more ethnically diverse patients received mismatched unrelated donor, haploidentical donor, and cord blood HCT. Matched unrelated donor remains the most common donor type, but use of haploidentical donors has increased significantly over the last 5 years. Paralleling the increase in haploidentical HCT is the increased use of post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) as GvHD prophylaxis. Relative to older transplant eras, the most contemporary transplant era associates with the highest survival rates following allogeneic HCT irrespective of patient race and ethnicity. However, disease relapse remains the primary cause of death for both adult and pediatric allogeneic HCT recipients by donor type and across all patient race and ethnicity groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Ethnically diverse patients are undergoing allogeneic HCTs at higher rates largely through the use of alternative donor platforms incorporating PTCy. Maintaining access to potential life-saving allogeneic HCT using alternative donors and novel GvHD prophylaxis strategies and improving HCT outcomes, particularly disease relapse, are urgent clinical needs.

Assessing environmental enteric dysfunction via multiplex assay and its relation to growth and development among HIV-exposed uninfected Tanzanian infants

BACKGROUND

Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) may contribute to poor growth and development in young children. While validated EED biomarkers are currently lacking, multiplex assays are able to capture multiple domains of the condition. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the relationship between biomarkers of EED and subsequent growth and development among Tanzanian HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) infants.

METHODOLOGY

We enrolled 467 infants of mothers living with HIV who had participated in a trial of vitamin D3 supplementation during pregnancy. Infant serum samples collected at 6 weeks (n = 365) and 6 months (n = 266) were analyzed for anti-flagellin and anti-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) IgA and IgG via ELISA as well as the 11-plex Micronutrient and EED Assessment Tool (MEEDAT), which incorporates two biomarkers of EED [intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) and soluble CD14 (sCD14)]. Outcomes were 12-month growth [length-for-age z-score (LAZ), weight-for-length z-score (WLZ), and weight-for-age z-score (WAZ)] and development [Caregiver Reported Early Development Instruments (CREDI) z-scores] and were assessed using linear regression.

FINDINGS

In primary analyses, higher quartiles of 6-month anti-LPS IgG concentrations were significantly associated with lower LAZ at 12 months (ptrend = 0.040). In secondary analyses, higher log2-transformed 6-week anti-flagellin IgA and 6-month anti-LPS IgA concentrations were significantly associated with lower LAZ at 12 months. No associations were observed between I-FABP or sCD14 and infant growth. However, higher log2-transformed 6-week sCD14 concentrations were significantly associated with lower overall CREDI z-scores, while higher log2-transformed 6-month I-FABP concentrations were significantly associated with higher overall CREDI z-scores.

CONCLUSIONS

Unlike anti-flagellin and anti-LPS Igs, MEEDAT's biomarkers of EED (I-FABP and sCD14) were not associated with subsequent linear growth among HEU infants in Tanzania. The relationship between EED and infant development warrants further study.

Assessing Environmental Enteric Dysfunction via Multiplex Assay and its Relation to Infant Growth Among HIV-Exposed Infants in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Objectives

Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED), a subclinical state of intestinal inflammation, may contribute to poor growth in children in low-resource settings, but validated biomarkers are lacking. Multiplex assays, such as the 11-plex Micronutrient and EED Assessment Tool (MEEDAT), hold promise due to their ability to capture multiple domains of EED; however, MEEDAT's ability to predict poor growth has not been well established. We sought to examine the relationship between markers of EED and growth among HIV-exposed infants in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Methods

We performed a sub-study of 467 infants of HIV-infected mothers who participated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial assessing the effect of vitamin D3 supplementation during pregnancy. Infant serum samples collected at 6 weeks and 6 months were analyzed for anti-flagellin and anti-LPS IgA and IgG via ELISA as well as MEEDAT, which incorporates two markers of EED [fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) and soluble CD14 (sCD14)]. Biomarkers were categorized into quartiles for primary analyses and as continuous exposures for exploratory analyses. Associations with subsequent growth outcomes [length-for-age Z-score (LAZ), weight-for-length Z-score (WLZ), and weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ)] at 12 months of age were assessed using linear regression.

Results

At 12 months, nearly half (∼46%) of infants were stunted (LAZ <-2), and ∼3% were wasted (WLZ <-2). Higher concentrations of anti-LPS IgG at 6 months were significantly associated with lower LAZ at 12 months (p_trend = 0.034). In continuous analyses, higher concentrations of anti-flagellin IgA at 6 weeks were significantly associated with lower LAZ at 12 months (β: −0.46, 95% CI: −0.82, −0.11) as were anti-LPS IgA (β: −0.28, 95% CI: −0.53, −0.03) and anti-LPS IgG (β: −0.24, 95% CI: −0.48, −0.01) at 6 months. Higher concentrations of anti-flagellin IgA and anti-LPS IgA at 6 months were significantly associated with lower WAZ at 12 months (β: −0.34, 95% CI: −0.61, −0.07; β: −0.24, 95% CI: −0.44, −0.04). No significant associations were observed between I-FABP or sCD14 and infant growth at 12 months.

Conclusions

Unlike anti-flagellin and anti-LPS Igs, MEEDAT's biomarkers of EED, I-FABP and sCD14, were not associated with subsequent growth among HIV-exposed infants in Tanzania.

Funding Sources

NIDDK and NICHD.

Biomarkers of Environmental Enteric Dysfunction in Pregnancy and Adverse Birth Outcomes: An Observational Study Among Women Living With HIV in Tanzania

Objectives

Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED), a subclinical state of intestinal inflammation, may contribute to poor fetal growth in low-resource settings. Pregnant women living with HIV may be particularly susceptible to effects of EED, given their increased risk of infections and adverse birth outcomes. We sought to explore the associations of biomarkers of EED, inflammation and growth hormones with birth outcomes in pregnant women living with HIV in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Methods

We performed a sub-study of 706 HIV-infected pregnant women participating in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial assessing the effect of vitamin D3 supplementation. Maternal serum samples collected at 32 weeks gestation were analyzed for anti-flagellin and anti-LPS IgA and IgG via ELISA as well as using an 11-plex Micronutrient and EED Assessment Tool, which includes markers of EED [intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) and soluble CD14], systemic inflammation [C-reactive protein and α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP)], insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21). Biomarkers were categorized as quartiles. Associations with birth outcomes were assessed using linear regression analyses.

Results

Pregnant women in the highest quartile of I-FABP had more than twice the risk of stillbirth compared to those in the lowest quartile (RR 2.43, 95% CI 0.98–6.03, ptrend = 0.02). Compared to women in the lowest quartile of AGP, those in the highest quartile gave birth to infants weighing 176g less (95% CI -280 to -71g, ptrend = 0.005). Maternal AGP was associated with increased risk of small-for-gestational age births; those in the highest quartile had a 70% greater risk compared to the lowest (RR 1.70, 95% CI 1.08–2.69, ptrend = 0.03). IGF1 was positively associated with birthweight and birthweight-for-age z-score; FGF21 was negatively associated with gestation duration and risk of preterm birth.

Conclusions

Maternal biomarkers of EED, systemic inflammation, and the growth hormone axis were associated with birth outcomes. Further studies are needed to confirm these results and study the biologic mechanisms involved.

Funding Sources

National Institutes of Health (NICHD, NIDDK).

Hierarchical Construction of Higher-Order Exceptional Points

The realization of higher-order exceptional points (HOEPs) can lead to orders of magnitude enhancement in light-matter interactions beyond the current fundamental limits. Unfortunately, implementing HOEPs in the existing schemes is a rather difficult task, due to the complexity and sensitivity to fabrication imperfections. Here we introduce a hierarchical approach for engineering photonic structures having HOEPs that are easier to build and more resilient to experimental uncertainties. We demonstrate our technique by an example that involves parity-time symmetric optical microring resonators with chiral coupling among the internal optical modes of each resonator. Interestingly, we find that the uniform coupling profile is not required to achieve HOEPs in this system-a feature that implies the emergence of HOEPs from disorder and provides resilience against some fabrication errors. Our results are confirmed by using full-wave simulations based on Maxwell's equation in realistic optical material systems.

Overexpression of HGF/MET axis along with p53 inhibition induces de novo glioma formation in mice

Background

Aberrant MET receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) activation leads to invasive tumor growth in different types of cancer. Overexpression of MET and its ligand hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) occurs more frequently in glioblastoma (GBM) than in low-grade gliomas. Although we have shown previously that HGF-autocrine activation predicts sensitivity to MET tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in GBM, whether it initiates tumorigenesis remains elusive.

Methods

Using a well-established Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposon strategy, we injected human HGF and MET cDNA together with a short hairpin siRNA against Trp53 (SB-hHgf.Met.ShP53) into the lateral ventricle of neonatal mice to induce spontaneous glioma initiation and characterized the tumors with H&E and immunohistochemistry analysis. Glioma sphere cells also were isolated for measuring the sensitivity to specific MET TKIs.

Results

Mixed injection of SB-hHgf.Met.ShP53 plasmids induced de novo glioma formation with invasive tumor growth accompanied by HGF and MET overexpression. While glioma stem cells (GSCs) are considered as the tumor-initiating cells in GBM, both SB-hHgf.Met.ShP53 tumor sections and glioma spheres harvested from these tumors expressed GSC markers nestin, GFAP, and Sox 2. Moreover, specific MET TKIs significantly inhibited tumor spheres' proliferation and MET/MAPK/AKT signaling.

Conclusions

Overexpression of the HGF/MET axis along with p53 attenuation may transform neural stem cells into GSCs, resulting in GBM formation in mice. These tumors are primarily driven by the MET RTK pathway activation and are sensitive to MET TKIs. The SB-hHgf.Met.ShP53 spontaneous mouse glioma model provides a useful tool for studying GBM tumor biology and MET-targeting therapeutics.

Differential responses of MET activations to MET kinase inhibitor and neutralizing antibody

BACKGROUND

Aberrant MET tyrosine kinase signaling is known to cause cancer initiation and progression. While MET inhibitors are in clinical trials against several cancer types, the clinical efficacies are controversial and the molecular mechanisms toward sensitivity remain elusive.

METHODS

With the goal to investigate the molecular basis of MET amplification (MET^amp) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) autocrine-driven tumors in response to MET tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) and neutralizing antibodies, we compared cancer cells harboring MET^amp (MKN45 and MHCCH97H) or HGF-autocrine (JHH5 and U87) for their sensitivity and downstream biological responses to a MET-TKI (INC280) and an anti-MET monoclonal antibody (MetMab) in vitro, and for tumor inhibition in vivo.

RESULTS

We find that cancer cells driven by MET^amp are more sensitive to INC280 than are those driven by HGF-autocrine activation. In MET^amp cells, INC280 induced a DNA damage response with activation of repair through the p53BP1/ATM signaling pathway. Although MetMab failed to inhibit MET^amp cell proliferation and tumor growth, both INC280 and MetMab reduced HGF-autocrine tumor growth. In addition, we also show that HGF stimulation promoted human HUVEC cell tube formation via the Src pathway, which was inhibited by either INC280 or MetMab. These observations suggest that in HGF-autocrine tumors, the endothelial cells are the secondary targets MET inhibitors.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrate that MET^amp and HGF-autocrine activation favor different molecular mechanisms. While combining MET TKIs and ATM inhibitors may enhance the efficacy for treating tumors harboring MET^amp, a combined inhibition of MET and angiogenesis pathways may improve the therapeutic efficacy against HGF-autocrine tumors.

Extrication process of chlorogenic acid in Crofton weed and antibacterial mechanism of chlorogenic acid on Escherichia coli

Crofton weed is a perennial herb and a biological intruding species. The present study firstly used the orthogonal test to compare the differences in extraction of chlorogenic acid in leaves and stems of Crofton weed by using three kinds of solvents, namely water, ethanol and ethyl acetate. The best effect was found by using ethonolic extraction of chlorogenic acid in Crofton weed. Further, by choosing Escherichia coli as test object, in-vitro antibacterial test was conducted to study the antimicrobial activities of chlorogenic acid by testing a series of indexes before and after the interaction between chlorogenic acid and Escherichia coli, to clarify the antibacterial mechanism of chlorogenic acid on Escherichia coli. Finally, by comparing the antibacterial activities of isochlorogenic acid A on Escherichia coli, it was concluded that both chlorogenic acid and isochlorogenic acid A showed antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli, wherein chlorogenic acid had a better antibacterial effect on Escherichia coli than isochlorogenic acid A.

Extracellular DNA traps released by acute promyelocytic leukemia cells through autophagy

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cells exhibit disrupted regulation of cell death and differentiation, and therefore the fate of these leukemic cells is unclear. Here, we provide the first evidence that a small percentage of APL cells undergo a novel cell death pathway by releasing extracellular DNA traps (ETs) in untreated patients. Both APL and NB4 cells stimulated with APL serum had nuclear budding of vesicles filled with chromatin that leaked to the extracellular space when nuclear and cell membranes ruptured. Using immunofluorescence, we found that NB4 cells undergoing ETosis extruded lattice-like structures with a DNA-histone backbone. During all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA)-induced cell differentiation, a subset of NB4 cells underwent ETosis at days 1 and 3 of treatment. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were significantly elevated at 3 days, and combined treatment with TNF-α and IL-6 stimulated NB4 cells to release ETs. Furthermore, inhibition of autophagy by pharmacological inhibitors or by small interfering RNA against Atg7 attenuated LC3 autophagy formation and significantly decreased ET generation. Our results identify a previously unrecognized mechanism for death in promyelocytes and suggest that ATRA may accelerate ET release through increased cytokines and autophagosome formation. Targeting this cellular death pathway in addition to conventional chemotherapy may provide new therapeutic modalities for APL.

Expression profile of insulin-like growth factor system genes in muscle tissues during the postnatal development growth stage in ducks

Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are regulators that modulate the proliferation and differentiation of muscle tissues. We quantified the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of IGF-I, IGF-II, and type I and II IGF receptors (IGF-IR and IGF-IIR) in muscle tissues including the breast, leg, and myocardium during an early postnatal development growth stage (post-hatching weeks 1-8) in ducks. The results showed a significant age-related change in mRNA in these muscle tissues. In breast muscle, the developmental expression of IGF-I and IGF-II was highest during week 1 but decreased quickly and maintained a relatively lower level. Leg muscle had the highest mRNA expression of IGF-I and IGF-II genes at week 3. In myocardial tissues, the expression level of IGF-IR and IGF-IIR genes exhibited a "rise-decline" developmental trend. The expression patterns of IGF-I/IGF-IR and IGF-II/IGF-IIR were different between weeks 4 and 6. The same expression pattern was observed for IGF-I and IGF-IR; however, it was different from that observed for IGF-II and IGF-IIR. Our results showed a negative correlation between IGF-II mRNA expression and leg muscle weight at week 4 (P < 0.05). A negative correlation was also found between IGF-II mRNA expression and breast muscle weight (P < 0.01), and a positive correlation was found between IGF-IR expression and breast muscle weight. At week 6, a positive correlation was found between IGF-IR expression and breast muscle weight. However, at week 8, a negative correlation was found between IGF-IR expression and breast muscle weight. The results showed that the expression of IGF mRNA in duck tissues exhibits a specific developmental trend and an age-related pattern, suggesting that the regulation mechanism of these 4 genes in proliferation and differentiation of muscle tissues differed.

A method for the temperature calibration of an infrared camera using water as a radiative source

Presented here is an effective low-cost method for the temperature calibration of infrared cameras, for applications in the 0-100 degrees C range. The calibration of image gray level intensity to temperature is achieved by imaging an upwelling flow of water, the temperature of which is measured with a thermistor probe. The upwelling flow is created by a diffuser located below the water surface of a constant temperature water bath. The thermistor probe is kept immediately below the surface, and the distance from the diffuser outlet to the surface is adjusted so that the deformation of the water surface on account of the flow is small, yet the difference between the surface temperature seen by the camera and the bulk temperature measured by the thermistor is also small. The benefit of this method compared to typical calibration procedures is that, without sacrificing the quality of the calibration, relatively expensive commercial blackbodies are replaced by water as the radiative source (epsilon approximately 0.98 for the wavelengths considered here). A heat transfer analysis is provided, which improves the accuracy of the calibration method and also provides the user with guidance to further increases in accuracy of the method.

A method for removing surfactants from an air/water interface

The study of heat, mass, and momentum transport across an air/water interface is an aspect of fluid mechanics where the presence of surfactant monolayers can play a significant role. Experimental studies of air/water transport typically require a method for cleaning the air/water interface so that it is free from any contaminating surfactant monolayer. This may be for the sake of running an experiment under clean surface conditions, or to clean the surface prior to deposition of a known surfactant. Herein a method is described for maintaining a clean air/water interface during conditions of finite air flow over the water surface. The unique aspect of this method is its ability to maintain clean surfaces while experiments are conducted.

Anti-inflammatory activities of triterpenoid saponins from Polygala japonica

Bioassay-guided investigation was performed to identify the active constituents from a methanol extract of Polygala japonica, a folk medicinal plant widely used in China to treat inflammatory diseases. The n-BuOH and EtOAc fractions of the P. japonica methanol extract, which show significant anti-inflammatory activity in in vivo test, were further subjected to column chromatography to afford six triterpene glycosides, marked here as saponins 1-6. All compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activity in the carageenan-induced mouse paw edema test, and saponins 1, 4 and 5 showed significantly anti-inflammatory effects on both phases of carageenan-induced acute paw edema in mice. Saponin 5 was also found to significantly inhibit the production of inflammatory mediators - nitric oxide (NO) in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages, with no obvious effects on macrophage viability.

Lot Consistency as an Equivalence Problem

One requirement for licensure of a vaccine in the United States is demonstration by the manufacturer of consistently produced lots of vaccine. Demonstration of consistency of manufacturing can be viewed as a multigroup equivalence problem. The standard statistical procedures for evaluating equivalence assume normally distributed data and define equivalence margins with respect to group means. As an alternative approach, we define a measure of the similarity among group distributions and their nonparametric estimators. Through computer simulations we explore the statistical properties of an equivalence test based on this estimator and compare them to the standard methods. Preliminary work suggests that a test of similarity can be useful in demonstrating equivalence when distributions are not normal or when there are differences in scale or shape. It appears to detect departures from equivalence that are not reflected by differences among group means.

Double photoionization of C(60) and C(70) in the valence region

Photoion yields from gaseous fullerenes, C(60) and C(70), for production of singly and doubly charged ions are measured by mass spectrometry combined with tunable synchrotron radiation at hnu=25-150 eV. Since the signal of triply or highly charged ions is very weak, the total photoionization yield curve can be estimated from the sum of the yields of the singly and doubly charged ions. A distinct feature appears in the resultant curve of C(60) which is absent in the calculated total photoabsorption cross section previously reported. This difference is attributed to C(60) (2+) ions chiefly produced by spectator Auger ionization of the shape resonance states followed by tunneling of the trapped electron or by cascade Auger ionization. Ratios between the yields of doubly and singly charged ions for C(60) and C(70) are larger than unity at hnu>50 eV. These ratios are quite different from those reported in the experiments using electron impact ionization.

Risk factors for spinal epidural hematoma after spinal surgery

STUDY DESIGN

A case-control retrospective analysis comparing patients who developed a postoperative spinal epidural hematoma with patients who did not develop this complication.

OBJECTIVES

To identify risk factors for the development of an epidural hematoma following spinal surgery.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Neurologic deterioration following spinal surgery is a rare but devastating complication. Epidural hematomas should be suspected in the patient who demonstrates a new postoperative neurologic deficit. The risk factors that predispose a patient to a postoperative spinal epidural hematoma have not been identified.

METHODS

Patients who underwent spinal surgery at a single institution over a 10-year period were retrospectively reviewed. Twelve patients who demonstrated neurologic deterioration after surgery and required surgical decompression because of an epidural hematoma were identified. All cases involved lumber laminectomies. A total of 404 consecutive patients that underwent lumbar decompression and did not develop an epidural hematoma formed the control group. Factors postulated to increase the risk of postoperative spinal epidural hematoma were compared between the two groups using logistic regression.

RESULTS

Multilevel procedures (P = 0.037) and the presence of a preoperative coagulopathy (P < 0.001) were significant risk factors. Age, body mass index, perioperative durotomies, and postoperative drains were not statistically significant risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients who require multilevel lumbar procedures and/or have a preoperative coagulopathy are at a significantly higher risk for developing a postoperative epidural hematoma.

Study on the transmission threshold value of bancroftian filariasis

OBJECTIVE

To elucidate the transmission dynamic and epidemic trend of bancroftian filariasis occurred under the condition with no control measure taken 5 years after elimination of filariasis.

METHODS

A 10-year longitudinal observation (from 1984 to 1994) was made in Huayuan Village in Shengli Township of Tancheng County, which used to be a high bancroftian filariasis-endemic area in southern part of Shandong Province.

RESULTS

The microfilarial rate decreased from 0.56% before the study to 0.12% after the study and 8 out of the 9 previous microfilaria-positive cases became negative gradually. During the study period, 6 new microfilaremia cases were detected, 5 of which became negative naturally within 3 to 4 years. Eighty-eight point eight nine per cent of the detected patients with microfilaremia converted into IgG4-negative after 10 years. The natural infective rate of vectors decreased year by year and became zero by the tenth year of the study, the annual transmission potency decreased also from 3.47 to zero by the tenth year.

CONCLUSIONS

It showed that under the local natural environment the biting rate representing the vector density which was obtained by capture method was from 24.1 to 52.5 person/night among the residents who did not use mosquito nets, and 13.5 to 21 person/night among the residents who used mosquito nets. The microfilarial rate of 0.56% in population with the average microfilarial density of 6.6 to 20.7 capita/60 microliters ear blood of residual microfilaria-positive patients might be considered as the terminal threshold of transmission.

[Effects of yizhi pills on memory, superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde of brain and immunity in mice]

Passive avoidance tests have shown that Yizhi Pills (YZ) markedly improve the memory of normal mice at a dose of 100 mg/kg after oral administration for fifteen days, and significantly reverse the scopolamine, NaNO2 and EtOH-induced disruptions of memory retention in mice at doses of 100, 200, 500 mg/kg after oral administration for five days. In aged mice induced by D-galactose, YZ also significantly improve the impaired memory, increase the activity of SOD and decrease the content of MDA in brain. All these effects were observed at doses of 200, 500 mg/kg after oral administration for forty-one days. YZ significantly promote blood carbon particle clearance, enhance hemolysin antibody in immunodepressed mice induced by cyclophosphamide, and increase earswelling in immunodepressed mice induced by prednisolonum.

[Pharmacological study on the compatibility of cortex Cinnamomi with Halloysitum Rubrum]

The decoction of Cortex Cinnamomi (CC, 1 g/kg p.o.) and Halloysitum Rubrum (HR, 3 g/kg p.o.) or the combination of the two drugs (4 g/kg p.o., CC 1 g/kg, HR 3 g/kg) could antagonize the diarrhea caused by p.o. water ex tract of Radix et Rhizoma Rhei in mice; and inhibit the platelet aggregation induced by ADP in vitro. Meanwhile, the effect of the combination of the two drugs was not different from that of each single one. In addition, CC was able to inhibit the spontaneous movement of intestine in situ and showed an analgesic effect (hot-plate method) in mice; HR was ineffective in these aspects and did not reduce the effect of CC. CC(20 g/kg p.o., i.p. or i.v.) exhibited very strong toxicity in mice, while HR(60 g/kg p.o., i.p. or i.v.) was nontoxic. When the two drugs were used together, the toxicity was markedly reduced.

Teaching safety: evaluation of a children's village in Maryland

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to evaluate Children's Village, a life safety education facility for children.

SETTING

The study took place in Washington County, Maryland, a rural county.

METHODS

Eight elementary schools with 20 second grade classrooms (410 students aged 7 and 8) were selected to participate. Using a quasiexperimental design, tests were administered to two cohorts of children before (pretest) and after (post-test) they attended the Children's Village during 1993-4. Parent and teacher surveys were also completed after the program.

RESULTS

Among children who attended in December 1993-January 1994, there was a significant improvement in average test scores between the pretest (58% correct) and post-test (78%). Among children who attended in April 1994, there also was a significant improvement in test scores between pretest (74%) and post-test (85%). Among parents, 70% reported that their child learned a great deal at Children's Village and 33% reported having made changes in their home as a result. The parent survey also revealed that 25% of children and 35% of adults did not always wear their seat belts, and 74% of children did not always wear bicycle helmets. Teachers' responses to the program were generally positive.

CONCLUSIONS

Children's Village brought together an extensive network of community leaders, parents, and teachers dedicated to safety education of children. The curriculum had a positive impact on children's knowledge and, to a lesser extent, on parents' safety practices. Program impact could be enhanced by more emphasis on automobile restraints and helmets (behaviors that parents reported were not consistently practiced) and by expanding the village services to parents as well as children. Others considering creating similar programs need to identify community leaders willing to commit the time, effort, and resources required to develop and sustain such programs.

Effect of ibudilast on ciliary activity of human paranasal sinus mucosa in vitro

The effect of ibudilast (CAS 50847-11-5, 3-isobutyryl-2-isopropylpyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridine, KC-404), an anti-asthmatic drug, on ciliary beat frequency (CBF) of human paranasal sinus mucosa was examined in vitro. Ciliary activation was observed after a 10-min exposure to 4.6 x 10(-6) mol/l ibudilast. Ibudilast dose-dependently increase CBF at the concentrations ranging from 4.6 x 10(-7) mol/l to 4.6 x 10(-5) mol/l. Propranolol inhibited ciliary activity induced by ibudilast; however, neither indometacin nor verapamil affected the activation of ibudilast on CBF. Platelet activating factor (PAF) and Leukotriene D4 (LTD4) are chemical mediators inducing mucosal dysfunction and damage. Ibudilast prevented ciliary inhibition induced by PAF and LTD4. These findings indicated that ibudilast activates CBF and inhibits the effect of PAF and LTD4 on ciliated cells, and consequently improves the pathogenesis of allergic disorders such as the inhibited mucociliary transport system and airway hyperresponsiveness.

Analysis of models for determining intestinal wall permeabilities

In determining intestinal wall permeabilities, several mass transport models may be applied to analyze the results from external perfusion experiments. The appropriateness of any given model depends on the applicability of the model assumptions to the experimental system. This report compares several mass transport models with respect to their assumptions and applicability to a particular experimental design. The models are shown to differ in their assumptions regarding convection and diffusion in the perfusing fluid. However, since the wall permeability is an unknown parameter in each model and is estimated from the data, all of the models fit the mass transfer results reasonably well, despite fundamentally different assumptions. However, the determined permeabilities differ. Residence time distribution analysis of the experimental system is more sensitive to the model assumptions. It is shown that, in a particular experimental system, laminar flow in a cylindrical tube is the most appropriate model. The model also has the advantage of implicitly accounting for the convection-diffusion problem in the perfusing fluid. Hence, the diffusion layer thickness is not estimated from the data. With the hydrodynamics defined, the relative permeabilities resulting from the application of the several models to the data can be interpreted. The wall permeability determined in the suggested manner provides an estimate of the limiting assistance under perfect mixing conditions.