Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trajectories of ADL Disability among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in China: Findings from the CHARLS Cohort Study

OBJECTIVES

There is little evidence on the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and disability trajectories among middle-aged and older adults. This study aimed to investigate the association between ACEs and activities of daily living (ADL) trajectories over eight years of follow-up and the mediation role of different chronic diseases on this relationship.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study, eight-year follow-up.

SETTING

China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study(CHARLS).

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 10651 participants age 45 and over from CHARLS 2011 to 2018 were included in this study.

MEASUREMENTS

Five ACEs exposure groups were formed based on the cumulative ACE scores. A 6-item ADL score was used, including bathing, dressing, eating, getting in/out of bed, using the toilet, and controlling urination, to measure the ADL disability, and the group-based trajectory model (GBTM) was used to identify the ADL disability trajectories. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to investigate the association between ACEs and ADL disability trajectory memberships, and KHB-method was used to estimate the contribution of different chronic diseases on this relationship.

RESULTS

Of the 10651 participants, 9.64% showed a mild-increasing trajectory in terms of change in ADL score during follow-up, followed by the low-mild trajectory (32.00%) and low-low trajectory (58.36%). Compared with those without ACEs exposure, participants who had ≥4 ACEs were associated with an increased risk of being on low-mild trajectory (OR 1.32, 95%CI:1.11-1.57) and mild-increasing trajectory (OR 1.41, 95%CI: 1.06-1.89), respectively. Besides, mediation analysis revealed chronic diseases had a mediation effect in this association, with the largest effect from arthritis or rheumatism (over 60%), followed by digestive system disease (around 14%), respiratory disease (around 12%), and cardio-metabolic disease (around 5%).

CONCLUSION

This study suggested that exposure to ACEs was associated with a higher risk of being worse ADL disability trajectories. Moreover, chronic disease accounts for a meaningful proportion of this association. Further studies are needed to clarify how chronic diseases mediate the association between ACEs and ADL disability trajectories.

[Impact of trigger timing of gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist regimen for infertility patients of various ages]

Objective: To investigate the impact of trigger timing of gonadotropin- releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist regimen for infertility patients of various ages. Methods: This was a retrospective study, 1 529 infertility patients who receiving GnRH antagonist regimen in Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children from January 2017 to December 2018 were divided into the advance trigger group and the standard trigger group, and further divided into three subgroups according to age:<35 years, 35-40 years,>40 years. The number of retrieved oocytes and transplantable embryos, the clinical pregnancy rate and the live birth rate among patients in the advance trigger group and standard trigger group in various age subgroups were compared. Results: (1) The gonadotropin (Gn) days among the three age subgroups were significantly shorter in the advance trigger group compared to the same-aged standard trigger group (all P<0.01), but only in the 35－40 years and >40 years subgroups, the Gn doses in the advance trigger group [(2 702±551) and (2 780±561) U] were significantly less than those in the standard trigger group (all P<0.01). In the <35 years subgroup, the number of oocytes retrieved and transplantable embryos of the advance trigger group (6.6±4.8 and 2.6±2.7) were significantly less than those of the standard trigger group (all P<0.01), but there was no difference in the number of top-quality embryos (P=0.580); however, in the 35－40 years and >40 years subgroups, there were no significant differences between advance and standard trigger groups in terms of the afore mentioned 3 indicators (all P>0.05), only the numbers of top-quality embryos in the advance trigger group (0.6±1.0 and 0.6±0.9) were significantly higher than those in the standard trigger group (all P<0.01). (2) In the <35 years and 35－40 years subgroups, no significant differences were noted between the advance trigger group and standard trigger group with regard to the clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate (all P>0.05); but in the >40 years subgroup, the clinical pregnancy rate of the advance trigger group was significantly higher than that of the standard trigger group [33.0% (30/91) vs 19.2% (25/130), P=0.020], and there was no statistical difference in the live birth rate (P=0.064). (3) Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that trigger timing was an independent predictor of clinical pregnancy rate in the >40 years subgroup (OR=0.334, 95%CI: 0.119-0.937, P=0.037), but not an independent predictor of live birth rate (P>0.05). Conclusions: Advance trigger in the GnRH antagonist protocol for infertility patients >40 years old could effectively reduce Gn times and Gn dosage, increase the number of top-quality embryos, and improve the clinical pregnancy rate. Therefore, compared with patients ≤40 years of age, patients >40 years might benefit more from advance trigger.

[The prediction of disease progression by 18Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission computed tomography/CT in patients with dermatomyositis and interstitial lung disease]

To investigate the predictive value of [¹⁸F]fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission computed tomography(PET)/CT for disease progression in patients with dermatomyositis (DM) and interstitial lung diseases (ILD). Sixty-seven DM patients who underwent [¹⁸F] FDG-PET/CT imaging were retrospectively analyzed from January 2012 to September 2017 at PLA General Hospital. Their clinical manifestations and imaging characteristics were recorded. Compared with those chronically progressed (C-ILD), patients with rapid progression (RP-ILD) had significantly higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and standardized uptake value (SUV) in lungs (P<0.05). In patients with RP-ILD, SUV in lungs was positively correlated with age, disease course, and ESR. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis suggested that when lung SUV cut off value was 2.25, the sensitivity and specificity to predict disease progression was 77.8% and 72.8%, respectively. Old age, longer disease course, low creatine kinase level, higher ESR, and high SUV are prognostic factors for DM-associated ILD.

Persistent STAT5 activation reprograms the epigenetic landscape in CD4+ T cells to drive polyfunctionality and antitumor immunity

The presence of polyfunctional CD4+ T cells is often associated with favorable antitumor immunity. We report here that persistent activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) in tumor-specific CD4+ T cells drives the development of polyfunctional T cells. We showed that ectopic expression of a constitutively active form of murine STAT5A (CASTAT5) enabled tumor-specific CD4+ T cells to undergo robust expansion, infiltrate tumors vigorously, and elicit antitumor CD8+ T cell responses in a CD4+ T cell adoptive transfer model system. Integrated epigenomic and transcriptomic analysis revealed that CASTAT5 induced genome-wide chromatin remodeling in CD4+ T cells and established a distinct epigenetic and transcriptional landscape. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis further identified a subset of CASTAT5-transduced CD4+ T cells with a molecular signature indicative of progenitor polyfunctional T cells. The therapeutic significance of CASTAT5 came from our finding that adoptive transfer of T cells engineered to coexpress CD19-targeting chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and CASTAT5 gave rise to polyfunctional CD4+ CAR T cells in a mouse B cell lymphoma model. The optimal therapeutic outcome was obtained when both CD4+ and CD8+ CAR T cells were transduced with CASTAT5, indicating that CASTAT5 facilitates productive CD4 help to CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, we provide evidence that CASTAT5 is functional in primary human CD4+ T cells, underscoring its potential clinical relevance. Our results implicate STAT5 as a valid candidate for T cell engineering to generate polyfunctional, exhaustion-resistant, and tumor-tropic antitumor CD4+ T cells to potentiate adoptive T cell therapy for cancer.

Serum soluble ST2 is a potential long-term prognostic biomarker for transient ischaemic attack and ischaemic stroke

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Soluble ST2 (sST2) is a promising biomarker in inflammation, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. We investigated the association between serum sST2 and poor outcome in patients with transient ischaemic attack (TIA)/ischaemic stroke.

METHODS

Patients within 24 h after onset and with measured serum sST2 were prospectively enrolled in this study. Poor outcome was a combination of a new stroke event (ischaemic or haemorrhagic) and all-cause death within 90 days and 1 year. The associations of serum sST2 with poor outcome were analysed by Cox proportional hazards.

RESULTS

Among the 430 patients included, the median (interquartile range) sST2 was 17.72 (9.31-28.84) ng/mL. A total of 19 (4.4%) and 38 (8.8%) patients experienced poor outcome within 90 days and 1 year, respectively. Compared with the lowest sST2 tertile, hazard ratios (HRs) [95% confidence intervals (CI)] for the highest tertile were 5.14 (1.43-18.51) for poor outcome within 90 days and 3.00 (1.29-6.97) at 1 year after multivariate adjustments. Adding sST2 to a prediction model significantly improved risk stratification of poor outcome in TIA/ischaemic stroke, as observed by the continuous net reclassification improvement of 60.98% (95% CI, 15.37-106.6%, P = 0.009) and integrated discrimination improvement of 2.63% (95% CI, 0.08-5.18%, P = 0.043) at 90 days and the continuous net reclassification improvement of 41.68% (95% CI, 8.74-74.61%, P = 0.013) at 1 year.

CONCLUSIONS

Increased serum sST2 levels in TIA/ischaemic stroke were associated with increased risks of poor outcome within 90 days and 1 year, suggesting that serum sST2 may be a potential long-term prognostic biomarker for TIA/ischaemic stroke.

Functional diversification of three delta-class glutathione S-transferases involved in development and detoxification in Tribolium castaneum

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are members of a multifunctional enzyme superfamily. Forty-one GSTs have been identified in Tribolium castaneum; however, none of the 41 GSTs has been functionally characterized. Here, three delta-class GSTs, TcGSTd1, TcGSTd2 and TcGSTd3, of T. castaneum were successfully cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. All of the studied GSTs catalysed the conjugation of reduced glutathione with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene. Insecticide treatment showed that the expression levels of TcGSTd3 and TcGSTd2 were significantly increased after exposure to phoxim and lambda-cyhalothrin, whereas TcGSTd1 was slightly upregulated only in response to phoxim. A disc diffusion assay showed that overexpression of TcGSTD3, but not TcGSTD1 or TcGSTD2, in E. coli increased resistance to paraquat-induced oxidative stress. RNA interference knockdown of TcGSTd1 caused metamorphosis deficiencies and reduced fecundity by regulating insulin/target-of-rapamycin signalling pathway-mediated ecdysteroid biosynthesis, and knockdown of TcGSTd3 led to reduced fertility and a decreased hatch rate of the offspring, probably caused by the reduced antioxidative activity in the reproductive organs. These results indicate that TcGSTd3 and TcGSTd2 may play vital roles in cellular detoxification, whereas TcGSTd1 may play essential roles in normal development of T. castaneum. These delta-class GSTs in T. castaneum have obtained different functions during the evolution.

A Process Migration Oriented Multi-Shop Integrated Scheduling Algorithm for Double Objectives

The characteristic of multi-shop scheduling is that the processing equipment is scattered in multiple workshops in different geographical locations. To solve this problem, a multi-shop comprehensive scheduling algorithm considering migration dual-objective is proposed of migration of a single complex product in multi-shop equipment, and the workpiece is migrated from one device to another during the processing. The algorithm first uses the leaf nodes of the process tree as a set of schedulable operations; second, the pre-scheduled operation set is determined according to the long path first strategy and the short time strategy; third, the actual scheduling set of the same idle equipment is determined according to the same equipment procedure selection strategy in the workshop; finally, considering the migration time and cost of the process to be processed, a two-objective optimization strategy for process shop selection is proposed. The example results show that the algorithm in this paper consumes less time and cost during the migration process, and can obtain a relatively compromised solution of the total time and total cost of product scheduling.

Abstract 4493: SF3B1 mutation promotes c-Myc protein stability through aberrant splicing and downregulation of PP2A B56α subunit in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

SF3B1 mutation, which occurs in 10-20% of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients, is associated with faster disease progression, shorter overall survival and fludarabine resistance. Mutant SF3B1 utilizes cryptic 3′ splice sites to generate aberrantly spliced mRNAs, half of which may undergo non-sense mediated mRNA decay (NMD), leading to downregulation of the affected genes. To identify potential tumor suppressor genes that are aberrantly spliced and downregulated by mutant SF3B1, we performed RNA-sequencing analysis of SF3B1-mutated primary CLL cells in the presence or absence of cycloheximide (CHX), a translation inhibitor known to inhibit NMD. Our analysis identified PPP2R5A, encoding one of the regulatory subunits of protein phosphatase-2A (PP2A B56α), as one of the key genes that were most consistently affected by an aberrantly spliced junction, and significantly downregulated (&gt;2 fold) in CLL patient samples with various SF3B1 hotspot mutations. Splicing analyses by RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing confirmed that a 13-nucleotides sequence was added before the 5th exon of PPP2R5A via alternative splicing in CLL patients with the SF3B1 mutation. Due to this 13-nucleotides addition, three consecutive premature stop codons were created by frameshift at a position more than 55 bases upstream of an exon-exon junction, which is a canonical feature of the mRNAs degraded through NMD. The down-regulation of PPP2R5A was confirmed by quantitative PCR (p&lt;0.05) and immunoblot at both mRNA and protein levels in CLL patients with SF3B1 mutation as compared to CLL patients without SF3B1 mutation and normal CD19+ B cell samples. Furthermore, overexpression of mutant SF3B1 in K562 and HEK 293 cells resulted in the same aberrant splicing pattern observed in CLL patients with SF3B1 mutation and downregulation of PPP2R5A (p&lt;0.05). Treatment with CHX resulted in an increased abundance of alternatively spliced PPP2R5A transcript, suggesting that the aberrant PPP2R5A transcript was degraded by NMD. PP2A, when incorporated with PPP2R5A as the regulatory subunit, dephosphorylates c-Myc at S62, and results in the degradation of c-Myc. Here, we demonstrated that downregulation of PPP2R5A by mutant SF3B1 led to upregulation of c-Myc through promoting c-Myc protein stability in SF3B1K700E overexpressing cells when compared to SF3B1wildtype overexpressing cells. Knockdown PPP2R5A in MEC1 CLL cells by siRNA also significantly upregulated c-Myc at the protein level and upregulated mRNA expression of c-Myc downstream genes NCL and ODC1. Overall, our results demonstrate that SF3B1 mutation causes aberrant splicing and downregulation of tumor suppressor protein PP2A B56α in vitro and in vivo, leading to upregulation of c-Myc.

Citation Format: Qimei Han, Libin Deng, Shuo Tu, Lirong Pei, Jeong-Hyeon Choi, Victor Jin, Huidong Shi. SF3B1 mutation promotes c-Myc protein stability through aberrant splicing and downregulation of PP2A B56α subunit in chronic lymphocytic leukemia [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4493.

Abstract 5230: Modulation of SF3B1 causes global intron retention and downregulation of the B-cell receptor pathway in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Splicing factor SF3B1 is frequently mutated in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients and has been suggested as a potential therapeutic target. In this study, we demonstrated that SF3B1 modulator sudemycin D6 (SD6) effectively inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis in CLL cells. RNA sequencing analysis revealed significant increases in global intron retention in SD6-treated CLL cells. Pathway analysis of the genes associated with increased intron retention suggested that B-cell receptor (BCR) and PI3K signaling pathways were among the most important pathways being affected by SD6. The increases in intron retention were inversely correlated with decreases in mRNA and protein levels of the affected BCR/PI3K pathway molecules including BLNK, BTK, AKT, PLCγ2, and PI3Kδ. SD6 treatment also induced a time-dependent exon-skipping event in MCL-1 mRNA and resulted in significant down-regulation of another anti-apoptotic gene TRAF1, thus collectively contributing to the SD6-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, SD6 treatment can overcome the pro-survival and pro-growth signals and synergize with established CLL therapies ibrutinib, idelalisib, and venetoclax to induce apoptosis in primary CLL cells co-cultured with bone marrow stromal cells and T-cell-derived cytokines. Finally, in vivo treatment with SD6 at 10mg/kg/day for 7 days significantly inhibited the growth of xenograft tumors that were established by subcutaneous inoculation of 5×106 MEC1 CLL cells into NOD mice. Collectively, these results provide a strong rationale for the future clinical development of spliceosome modulators and potential combination therapies for the treatment of CLL.

Citation Format: Qimei Han, Jianbo Wang, Austin Y. Shull, Fang Shi, Libin Deng, Jeong-Hyeon Choi, Eun-Jeong Park, Shuo Tu, Lirong Pei, Farrukh T. Awan, Roni Bollag, Locke J. Bryan, Hong-bo Xin, Chandraiah Lagisetti, Thomas R. Webb, Victor Jin, Huidong Shi. Modulation of SF3B1 causes global intron retention and downregulation of the B-cell receptor pathway in chronic lymphocytic leukemia [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5230.

Tunable hybridization of graphene plasmons and dielectric modes for highly confined light transmit at terahertz wavelength

We theoretically report a novel graphene-based hybrid plasmonic waveguide (GHPW) by integrating a GaAs micro-tube on a silica spacer that is supported by a graphene-coated substrate. In comprehensive numerical simulations on guiding properties of the GHPW, it was found that the size of hybrid plasmonic mode (TM) can be reduced significantly to ~10^-4(λ²/4), in conjunction with long propagation distances up to tens of micrometers by tuning the the waveguide's key structure parameters and graphene's chemical potential. Moreover, crosstalk between two adjacent GHPWs that are placed on the same substrate has been analyzed and ultralow crosstalk can be realized. The proposed scheme potentially enables realization of the various high performance nanophotonic components-based subwavelength plasmonic waveguides in terahertz domain.

Modeled changes to the Great Plains low-level jet under a realistic irrigation application

Low-level jets (LLJs) are relatively fast-moving streams of air that form in the lower troposphere and are a common phenomenon across the Great Plains (GP) of the United States. LLJs play an important role in moisture transport and the development of nocturnal convection in the spring and summer. Alterations to surface moisture and energy fluxes can influence the planetary boundary layer (PBL) development and thus LLJs. One important anthropogenic process that has been shown to affect the surface energy budget is irrigation. In this study, we investigate the effects of irrigation on LLJ development across the GP by incorporating a dynamic and realistic irrigation scheme into the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. WRF simulations were conducted with and without the irrigation scheme for the exceptionally dry summer of 2012 over the GP. The results show irrigation-introduced changes to LLJ features both over and downstream of the most heavily irrigated regions in the GP. There were statistically significant increases to LLJ speeds in the simulation with the irrigation parameterization. Decreases to the mean jet core height on the order of 50 m during the overnight hours were also simulated when irrigation was on. The overall frequency of jet occurrences increased over the irrigated regions by 5-10%; however, these differences were not statistically significant. These changes were weaker than those reported in earlier studies based on simple representations of irrigation that unrealistically saturate the soil columns over large areas over a long period of time, which highlights the importance and necessity to represent human activity more accurately in modeling studies.

[Brain derived neurotrophic factor enhances the role of mesenchymal stem cells in inhibiting follicular helper T cells]

目的

探讨脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）增强间充质干细胞（MSC）抑制滤泡辅助性T细胞（Tfh细胞）的作用及机制。

方法

ELISA法检测MSC培养上清中吲哚胺2,3-二加氧酶（IDO）、IL-10、TGF-β和IL-21的含量；采集健康志愿者的外周血标本，采用人淋巴细胞分离液分离外周血中的淋巴细胞；采用Transwell小室进行MSC和淋巴细胞共培养，流式细胞术检测CD4⁺CXCR5⁺ Tfh细胞及其亚群的比例。

结果

①BDNF组（BDNF刺激的MSC）培养上清IL-10、TGF-β、IDO浓度均高于对照组（加入等体积磷酸盐缓冲液）[IL-10：（42.1±4.4）ng/ml对（19.3±2.1）ng/ml，t=4.761，P=0.009；TGF-β：（13.9±1.7）ng/ml对（5.3±0.6）ng/ml，t=5.129，P=0.008；IDO：（441.3±56.9）ng/ml对（226.7±37.6）ng/ml，t=3.130，P=0.035]；②BDNF组（淋巴细胞与BDNF刺激的MSC共培养）与MSC组（淋巴细胞与MSC共培养）比较：CD4⁺CXCR5⁺Tfh细胞比例降低[（3.37±0.21）%对（6.51±0.27）%，t=9.353，P<0.001]，CD4⁺ CXCR5⁺ CXCR3⁺ CCR6⁻Tfh1细胞比例升高[（41.14±2.04）%对（26.72±2.57）%，t=4.383，P=0.012]，CD4⁺CXCR5⁺CXCR3⁻CCR6⁻Tfh2细胞和CD4⁺CXCR5⁺CXCR3⁻CCR6⁺Tfh17细胞比例降低[Tfh2：（30.16±5.38）%对（43.26±4.11）%，t=4.426，P=0.012；Tfh17：（15.61±1.52）%对（22.32±0.72）%，t=4.202，P=0.014]，CD4⁺CXCR5⁺Foxp3⁺ Tfr细胞比例升高[（4.95±0.22）%对（2.32±0.16）%，t=10.241，P<0.001]，淋巴细胞培养上清中IL-21浓度降低[（0.28±0.03）ng/ml对（0.85±0.08）ng/ml，t=6.675，P=0.003]。

结论

BDNF能够增强MSC抑制Tfh细胞的作用，机制是抑制淋巴细胞中Tfh细胞比例升高及其向Tfh2和Tfh17亚群的分化。

Dual antiplatelet therapy reduced stroke risk in high-risk patients with transient ischaemic attack assessed by ABCD3-I score

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Several clinical trials have demonstrated that dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) benefited patients with transient ischaemic attack (TIA) with an ABCD2 score ≥4. The present study aimed to investigate whether the ABCD3-I score could be a more appropriate tool for selection of patients with TIA to receive DAPT in real-world settings.

METHODS

We derived data from the TIA database of The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. The predictive outcome was ischaemic stroke at 90 days. The additive interaction effect was presented by the attributable proportion due to interaction. Kaplan-Meier curves were plotted to present cumulative stroke rates in different risk categories with monotherapy and DAPT. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to determine risk factors associated with stroke.

RESULTS

Among 785 patients, the mean (SD) age was 56.95 (12.73) years and 77 patients (9.8%) had an ischaemic stroke at 90 days. A total of 55.8% of patients (attributable proportion due to interaction; 95% confidence interval, 20.8%-90.9%) were attributed to additive interaction of ABCD3-I score and antiplatelet therapy. Kaplan-Meier curves showed a significant difference between patients receiving monotherapy and DAPT in high-risk patients with TIA (P = 0.021). DAPT reduced 90-day stroke risk in high-risk patients with TIA as assessed independently by ABCD3-I score (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.20-0.92, P = 0.031). The benefit did not exist in low- and medium-risk patients by ABCD3-I score (patients with ABCD2 score ≥ 4 or <4).

CONCLUSIONS

High-risk patients with TIA assessed by ABCD3-I score received the most pronounced clinical benefit from early use of DAPT in real-world clinical experience.

IRX3 is a genetic modifier for birth weight, adolescent obesity and transaminase metabolism

OBJECTIVE

IRX3 expression has been functionally associated in obesity-associated long-distance susceptibility loci, but the effect of the IRX3 genetic variants on human obesity and obesity-related metabolism remains uncertain.

METHODS

To determine the genetic role of IRX3, we conducted a molecular epidemiological analysis using three haplotype tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs8053360, rs3751723 and rs12445085) and one nonsynonymous SNP (rs1126960) at the IRX3 locus in 333 junior and senior high school students from a northeast Chinese population.

RESULTS

We identified significant associations between IRX3 SNPs and birth weight, body mass index (BMI), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and AST/ALT ratio. The rs8053360 CC and rs1126960 GG genotypes were associated with increased birth weight and BMI, especially in females. Individuals with the rs12445085 TT genotype had significantly higher levels of AST and ALT, whereas individuals with the rs1126960 GG genotype had a significantly lower AST/ALT ratio than did individuals with other genotypes. However, no significant relationships were found between any of the IRX3 SNPs and metabolic syndrome or diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

IRX3 genetic variants associate with birth weight, BMI and AST/ALT-related transaminase metabolism, supporting the role of IRX3 as an obesity-associated susceptibility gene.

A novel mechanism of memory loss in Alzheimer's disease mice via the degeneration of entorhinal-CA1 synapses

The entorhinal cortex (EC) is one of the most vulnerable brain regions that is attacked during the early stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we report that the synaptic terminals of pyramidal neurons in the EC layer II (ECII_PN) directly innervate CA1 parvalbumin (PV) neurons (CA1_PV) and are selectively degenerated in AD mice, which exhibit amyloid-β plaques similar to those observed in AD patients. A loss of ECII_PN-CA1_PV synapses disables the excitatory and inhibitory balance in the CA1 circuit and impairs spatial learning and memory. Optogenetic activation of ECII_PN using a theta burst paradigm rescues ECII_PN-CA1_PV synaptic defects and intercepts the decline in spatial learning and memory. These data reveal a novel mechanism of memory loss in AD mice via the selective degeneration of the ECII_PN-CA1_PV pathway.

Phenotypic alteration of CD8+ T cells in chronic lymphocytic leukemia is associated with epigenetic reprogramming

Immunosuppression is a prevalent clinical feature in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients, with many patients demonstrating increased susceptibility to infections as well as increased failure of an antitumor immune response. However, much is currently not understood regarding the precise mechanisms that attribute to this immunosuppressive phenotype in CLL. To provide further clarity to this particular phenomenon, we analyzed the T-cell profile of CLL patient samples within a large cohort and observed that patients with an inverted CD4/CD8 ratio had a shorter time to first treatment as well as overall survival. These observations coincided with higher expression of the immune checkpoint receptor PD-1 in CLL patient CD8⁺ T cells when compared to age-matched healthy donors. Interestingly, we discovered that increased PD-1 expression in CD8⁺ T cells corresponds with decreased DNA methylation levels in a distal upstream locus of the PD-1 gene PDCD1. Further analysis using luciferase reporter assays suggests that the identified PDCD1 distal upstream region acts as an enhancer for PDCD1 transcription and this region becomes demethylated during activation of naïve CD8⁺ T cells by anti-CD3/anti-CD28 antibodies and IL2. Finally, we conducted a genome-wide DNA methylation analysis comparing CD8⁺ T cells from CLL patients against healthy donors and identified additional differentially methylated genes with known immune regulatory functions including CCR6 and KLRG1. Taken together, our findings reveal the occurrence of epigenetic reprogramming taking place within CLL patient CD8⁺ T cells and highlight the potential mechanism of how immunosuppression is accomplished in CLL.

Tau-mediated iron export prevents ferroptotic damage after ischemic stroke

Functional failure of tau contributes to age-dependent, iron-mediated neurotoxicity, and as iron accumulates in ischemic stroke tissue, we hypothesized that tau failure may exaggerate ischemia-reperfusion-related toxicity. Indeed, unilateral, transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) suppressed hemispheric tau and increased iron levels in young (3-month-old) mice and rats. Wild-type mice were protected by iron-targeted interventions: ceruloplasmin and amyloid precursor protein ectodomain, as well as ferroptosis inhibitors. At this age, tau-knockout mice did not express elevated brain iron and were protected against hemispheric reperfusion injury following MCAO, indicating that tau suppression may prevent ferroptosis. However, the accelerated age-dependent brain iron accumulation that occurs in tau-knockout mice at 12 months of age negated the protective benefit of tau suppression against MCAO-induced focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. The protective benefit of tau knockout was revived in older mice by iron-targeting interventions. These findings introduce tau-iron interaction as a pleiotropic modulator of ferroptosis and ischemic stroke outcome.

DNA methylation protects against cisplatin-induced kidney injury by regulating specific genes, including interferon regulatory factor 8

DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism that regulates gene transcription without changing primary nucleotide sequences. In mammals, DNA methylation involves the covalent addition of a methyl group to the 5-carbon position of cytosine by DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs). The change of DNA methylation and its pathological role in acute kidney injury (AKI) remain largely unknown. Here, we analyzed genome-wide DNA methylation during cisplatin-induced AKI by reduced representation bisulfite sequencing. This technique identified 215 differentially methylated regions between the kidneys of control and cisplatin-treated animals. While most of the differentially methylated regions were in the intergenic, intronic, and coding DNA sequences, some were located in the promoter or promoter-regulatory regions of 15 protein-coding genes. To determine the pathological role of DNA methylation, we initially examined the effects of the DNA methylation inhibitor 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine and showed it increased cisplatin-induced apoptosis in a rat kidney proximal tubular cell line. We further established a kidney proximal tubule-specific DNMT1 (PT-DNMT1) knockout mouse model, which showed more severe AKI during cisplatin treatment than wild-type mice. Finally, interferon regulatory factor 8 (Irf8), a pro-apoptotic factor, was identified as a hypomethylated gene in cisplatin-induced AKI, and this hypomethylation was associated with a marked induction of Irf8. In the rat kidney proximal tubular cells, the knockdown of Irf8 suppressed cisplatin-induced apoptosis, supporting a pro-death role of Irf8 in renal tubular cells. Thus, DNA methylation plays a protective role in cisplatin-induced AKI by regulating specific genes, such as Irf8.

[Nasal continuous positive airway pressure ventilation in children with community-acquired pneumonia under five years of age: a prospective, multi-center clinical study]

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children under five years of age and analyze the safety and efficiency of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) ventilation for CAP in this population. Method: This was a prospective multicenter study. Children who were admitted to these six centers with CAP and met the NCPAP ventilation indications, aged from 29 d to 5 years, were continuously included during November 2013 to October 2015. The baseline data were collected and NCPAP ventilation were then followed up by operation standards, and the vital signs and arterial blood gas change at special time points were observed and recorded. Any side effect associated with NCPAP were recorded. For categorical variables, comparisons were performed using Fisher test. Rank-sum test and t test were performed respectively for abnormal and normal distribution continuous variables. The variables pre-NCPAP and post-NCPAP were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA analysis. Result: Totally 145 children were included, and 13 children were excluded due to incomplete data. One hundred and two children(77.3%)were ≤12 months; 91 children (68.9%) were from rural area. NCPAP ventilation was effective in 123 children, with a response rate of 93.2%, were all discharged with a better condition; it was ineffective in 9 children(6.8%), and they were all intubated and went on mechanical ventilation, 5 were discharged with a better condition, and 4 died after gaving up treatment. The gender, age, body weight, residence, main symptoms, main signs, imaging diagnosis, medications, partial pressure of oxygen(PaO(2)), breath and heart rate before NCPAP treatment of two groups had no significant differences(allP>0.05). The rates of combining underlying diseases, trouble with feeding and cyanosis, and the partial pressure of carbon dioxide(PaCO(2) ) before NCPAP ventilation were higher in NCPAP ineffective group ((59±11 )vs.( 49±11) mmHg, 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa, t=-2.597, P=0.028); while the PaO(2)/fraction of inspiration O(2) (FiO(2) ) before NCPAP was lower((150±37) vs. (207±63) mmHg, t=2.697, P=0.008). The breathing, heart rate and PaCO(2) of NCPAP effective group decreased significantly, while the PaO(2) and PaO(2)/FiO(2) increased significantly after 2, 8, 24 h of NCPAP ventilation(all P=0.000). PaCO(2) in children with hypercapnia before NCPAP ventilation in NCPAP effective group decreased significantly ((48±9), (47±12), (45±11)vs.(58±7)mmHg, all P=0.000). All children tolerated well to NCPAP ventilation, and there were no severe side effects or complications associated with NCPAP ventilation. Conclusion: NCPAP ventilation is safe and effectively improved the oxygenation and hypercapnia in infants with CAP. But it may not work well in children with underlying diseases, manifest as difficulty in feeding/cyanosis and extremely high PaCO(2) or low PaO(2)/FiO(2), and they may need early intubation.

Promoter Methylation Modulates Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase 1 Induction by Activated T Cells in Human Breast Cancers

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells are modulated in reaction to tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. However, their specific responses to this immune pressure are unknown. In order to address this question, we first used mRNA sequencing to compare the immunophenotype of the TNBC cell line MDA-MB-231 and the luminal breast cancer cell line MCF7 after both were cocultured with activated human T cells. Despite similarities in the cytokine-induced immune signatures of the two cell lines, MDA-MD-231 cells were able to transcribe more IDO1 than MCF7 cells. The two cell lines had similar upstream JAK/STAT1 signaling and IDO1 mRNA stability. However, using a series of breast cancer cell lines, IFNγ stimulated IDO1 protein expression and enzymatic activity only in ER^-, not ER⁺, cell lines. Treatment with 5-aza-deoxycytidine reversed the suppression of IDO1 expression in MCF7 cells, suggesting that DNA methylation was potentially involved in IDO1 induction. By analyzing several breast cancer datasets, we discovered subtype-specific mRNA and promoter methylation differences in IDO1, with TNBC/basal subtypes exhibiting lower methylation/higher expression and ER⁺/luminal subtypes exhibiting higher methylation/lower expression. We confirmed this trend of IDO1 methylation by bisulfite pyrosequencing breast cancer cell lines and an independent cohort of primary breast tumors. Taken together, these findings suggest that IDO1 promoter methylation regulates anti-immune responses in breast cancer subtypes and could be used as a predictive biomarker for IDO1 inhibitor-based immunotherapy. Cancer Immunol Res; 5(4); 330-44. ©2017 AACR.

Abstract P6-02-08: Modulation of indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO1) expression in breast cancer cells by activated CD8+ T cells is controlled by DNA promoter methylation

Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) play a critical role in regulating the immunomodulatory properties of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, the specific adaptations that TNBC tumors undergo when challenged by lymphocyte infiltration remain unclear. In order to address this gap in knowledge, we conducted an immuno-phenotype comparison using mRNA sequencing between the TNBC cell line MDA-MB-231 and the luminal breast cancer cell line MCF7 after both were co-cultured with activated human T-cells. Although the cytokine-induced immune signature of the two cell lines were similar, MDA-MD-231 cells were able to transcribe the tryptophan catabolizing enzyme IDO1 at a significantly higher level than MCF7 cells. Stimulation with IFNg was able to differentially induce IDO protein expression and enzymatic activity in ER- cell lines compared to ER+ cell lines, though no differences were observed in upstream JAK/STAT1 signaling or IDO1 mRNA stability between the two cell lines. Further experiments showed that treatment with the demethylating agent 5-aza-deoxycytidine was able to reverse suppression of IDO1 expression in MCF7 cells, suggesting that DNA methylation serves as a potential determinant in IDO1 induction. Analysis of TCGA and other previously published breast cancer datasets revealed subtype-specific mRNA and promoter methylation differences in IDO1, with TNBC/basal-like subtypes exhibiting lower promoter methylation and higher mRNA expression than ER+/luminal subtypes. Bisulfite pyrosequencing validated the subtype-specific association of decreased promoter methylation with increased IDO1 expression in breast cancer cell lines and an independent cohort of primary breast tumors. In addition, decreased IDO1 promoter methylation and elevated IDO1 expression in basal-like breast tumors was found to be associated with increased levels of kynurenine, the metabolic product of IDO1, as well as higher numbers of CD8+ TILs. Furthermore, high kynurenine levels in breast tumors were associated with worse patient survival. Taken together, these findings suggest that subtype-specific IDO1 promoter methylation regulates the ability of breast tumors to escape from antitumor immune responses driven by CD8+ TILs and could be used as a predictive biomarker for IDO inhibitor-based immunotherapy.

Citation Format: Gu F, Noonepalle SK, Lee E-J, Choi J-H, Shull AY, Pei L, Sreekumar A, Ambs S, Shi H. Modulation of indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO1) expression in breast cancer cells by activated CD8+ T cells is controlled by DNA promoter methylation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-02-08.

Household air pollution and personal exposure to nitrated and oxygenated polycyclic aromatics (PAHs) in rural households: Influence of household cooking energies

Residential solid fuels are widely consumed in rural China, contributing to severe household air pollution for many products of incomplete combustion, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their polar derivatives. In this study, concentrations of nitrated and oxygenated PAH derivatives (nPAHs and oPAHs) for household and personal air were measured and analyzed for influencing factors like smoking and cooking energy type. Concentrations of nPAHs and oPAHs in kitchens were higher than those in living rooms and in outdoor air. Exposure levels measured by personal samplers were lower than levels in indoor air, but higher than outdoor air levels. With increasing molecular weight, individual compounds tended to be more commonly partitioned to particulate matter (PM); moreover, higher molecular weight nPAHs and oPAHs were preferentially found in finer particles, suggesting a potential for increased health risks. Smoking behavior raised the concentrations of nPAHs and oPAHs in personal air significantly. People who cooked food also had higher personal exposures. Cooking and smoking have a significant interaction effect on personal exposure. Concentrations in kitchens and personal exposure to nPAHs and oPAHs for households using wood and peat were significantly higher than for those using electricity and liquid petroleum gas (LPG).

Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in HIV infection: taking the bad with the good

In this review, we will describe the immunopathogies of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome, IRIS. IRIS occurs in a small subset of HIV patient, initiating combination antiretroviral therapy (ART), where immune reconstitution becomes dysregulated, resulting in an overly robust antigen-specific inflammatory reaction. We will discuss IRIS in terms of the associated coinfections: mycobacteria, cryptococci, and viruses.

RPPA-based protein profiling reveals eIF4G overexpression and 4E-BP1 serine 65 phosphorylation as molecular events that correspond with a pro-survival phenotype in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the most common adult leukemia, remains incurable despite advancements in treatment regimens over the past decade. Several expression profile studies have been pursued to better understand CLL pathogenesis. However, these large-scale studies only provide information at the transcriptional level. To better comprehend the differential protein changes that take place in CLL, we performed a reverse-phase protein array (RPPA) analysis using 167 different antibodies on B-cell lysates from 18 CLL patients and 6 normal donors. From our analysis, we discovered an enrichment of protein alterations involved with mRNA translation, specifically upregulation of the translation initiator eIF4G and phosphorylation of the cap-dependent translation inhibitor 4E-BP1 at serine 65. Interestingly, 4E-BP1 phosphorylation occurred independently of AKT phosphorylation, suggesting a disconnect between PI3K/AKT pathway activation and 4E-BP1 phosphorylation. Based on these results, we treated primary CLL samples with NVP-BEZ235, a PI3K/mTOR dual inhibitor, and compared its apoptotic-inducing potential against the BTK inhibitor Ibrutinib and the PI3Kδ inhibitor Idelalisib. We demonstrated that treatment with NVP-BEZ235 caused greater apoptosis, greater apoptotic cleavage of eIF4G, and greater dephosphorylation of 4E-BP1 in primary CLL cells. Taken together, these results highlight the potential dependence of eIF4G overexpression and 4E-BP1 phosphorylation in CLL survival.

Household air pollution and personal exposure risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons among rural residents in Shanxi, China

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of pollutants of widespread concerns. Gaseous and size-segregated particulate-phase PAHs were collected in indoor and outdoor air in rural households. Personal exposure was measured and compared to the ingestion exposure. The average concentrations of 28 parent PAHs and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) were 9000 ± 8390 and 131 ± 236 ng/m(3) for kitchen, 2590 ± 2270 and 43 ± 95 ng/m(3) for living room, and 2800 ± 3890 and 1.6 ± 0.7 ng/m(3) for outdoor air, respectively. The mass percent of high molecular weight (HMW) compounds with 5-6 rings contributed 1.3% to total 28 parent PAHs. Relatively higher fractions of HMW PAHs were found in indoor air compared to outdoor air. Majorities of particle-bound PAHs were found in the finest PM0.25 , and the highest levels of fine PM0.25 -bound PAHs were in the kitchen using peat and wood as energy sources. The 24-h personal PAH exposure concentration was 2100 ± 1300 ng/m(3) . Considering energies, exposures to those using wood were the highest. The PAH inhalation exposure comprised up to about 30% in total PAH exposure through food ingestion and inhalation, and the population attributable fraction (PAF) for lung cancer in the region was 0.85%. The risks for inhaled and ingested intakes of PAHs were 1.0 × 10(-5) and 1.1 × 10(-5) , respectively.

Protective effect of penehyclidine hydrochloride on lipopolysaccharide-induced acute kidney injury in rat

We aimed to observe the effect of penehyclidine hydrochloride (PHC) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute kidney injury in rats and expression of tight junction proteins ZO-1 and occludin. Adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided randomly (N = 10) into control group (C), LPS group (LPS), low-dose PHC group (L-PHC), and high-dose PHC group (H-PHC). All rats, except C group, received a vena caudalis injection of 5.0 mg/kg LPS; after 30 min, rats in L-PHC and H-PHC groups received a vena caudalis injection of 0.3 and 0.9 mg/kg PHC. After 24 h, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, serum creatinine (Scr), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were detected. Histopathological changes and expression of ZO-1 and occludin were observed in renal tissues. Versus levels of TNF-α (38.5 ± 9.0), IL-1β (46.3 ± 12.7), Scr (37.2 ± 9.3), and BUN (6.5 ± 1.1) in control group, those in LPS group, TNF-α (159.0 ± 21.3), IL-1β (130.8 ± 18.7), Scr (98.5 ± 18.2), and BUN (12.8 ± 1.8), increased obviously (P < 0.05), with significantly structural changes and decreases of ZO-1 and occludin. However, TNF-α (111.3 ± 11.6), IL-1β (78.4 ± 14.3), Scr (51.3 ± 12.5), BUN (8.1 ± 1.2) in H-PHC group, and TNF-α (120.8 ± 14.3), IL-1β (92.5 ± 19.0), Scr (56.7 ± 14.7), BUN (9.7 ± 1.6) in L-PHC group were obviously decreased (P < 0.05). PHC has protective effects on acute kidney injury in sepsis, including abatement of renal tissue inflammation and functional improvement, potentially by upregulating ZO-1 and occludin.

Evaluation of socio-economic inequalities in the use of maternal health services in rural western China

OBJECTIVES

To describe the use of maternal health services according to the standards of the Chinese Ministry of Health, and assess socio-economic inequalities in usage in rural Shaanxi province, western China.

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey.

METHODS

Principal components analysis was used to measure the economic status of households. A concentration index (CI) approach was used as a measure of socio-economic inequalities in the use of maternal health services, and a decomposable CI was used to identify the factors that contributed to the socio-economic inequalities in usage.

RESULTS

In total, 4760 women who had given birth in the preceding three years were selected at random to be interviewed in the five counties. Household wealth index was calculated by constructing a linear index from asset ownership indicators using principal components analysis to derive weights. The CI approach is a standard measure in the analysis of inequalities in health. If the CI for the use of maternal health services is positive, it is pro-rich; if it is negative, it is pro-poor. The decomposition method was used to estimate the contributions of individual factors to CI. The overall CI for five or more prenatal visits was 0.075. The household wealth index was found to make the greatest contribution to socio-economic inequalities for five or more prenatal visits (35.5%), followed by maternal education (28.8%), receipt of a health handbook during pregnancy (12.1%), age group (11.0%), distance from health facility (10.5%), family members (1.5%) and district of residence (0.6%).

CONCLUSIONS

Socio-economic inequalities in the use of prenatal health services were pro-rich in rural western China. Socio-economic inequalities in hospital delivery and postnatal health check-ups were not evident. Improving household economic status, providing prenatal health services for women with low income and low educational level, providing health handbooks and improving traffic conditions should be promoted as methods to eliminate socio-economic inequalities in the use of maternal health services.

Abstract 2191: Transcriptome analysis demonstrates the ability of the bromodomain inhibitor JQ1 to attenuate expression of common oncogenes heterogeneously expressed among chronic lymphocytic leukemia subsets

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the most common adult leukemia in the western world, is characterized by the ability of B-cells to escape their regulated apoptotic fate and oncogenically expand via microenvironment interactions in the lymph node. With recent studies demonstrating BET bromodomains as effective therapeutic targets in cancers, our goal was to investigate the potential therapeutic benefits of JQ1 and determine how this bromodomain inhibitor alters the transcriptional landscape in CLL. We performed in vitro proliferation assays in the MEC1, MEC2, and WAC3 CLL cell lines. Based on dose and time dependent variables, we determined that 1uM of JQ1 could fully inhibit proliferation in all 3 cell lines. Cell cycle and Annexin V/DAPI analysis with 500nM and 1uM of JQ1 caused G1 cell cycle arrest in MEC1 and MEC2 after 72 hours while inducing little apoptosis. This result was supported mechanistically by the fact that cyclin D3 protein expression was lost in MEC1 after 24hr treatment while BCL2 expression remained stable. Based on the phenotypic results, we then treated MEC1, an immortalized clone of primary CLL, and MEC2, an immortalized clone of progressed CLL, with 1uM of JQ1 and performed a time course-based RNAseq analysis to determine how JQ1 affects the CLL transcriptional landscape. We compared the treatment analysis against 47 clinical CLL and 5 healthy donor samples in order to conduct a meta-analysis comparison between transcripts significantly upregulated in the clinical CLL RNAseq and transcripts significantly downregulated in the JQ1-treated MEC1 and MEC2 RNAseq. Pathway analysis comparison between transcripts upregulated in clinical CLL samples and transcripts downregulated in the treated cell lines demonstrated that JQ1 disrupted expression of signaling cascades involved with the NFKB, NFAT, and PI3K pathways, as well as disrupting pathways activated by IL2, IL4, and CD40L. Interestingly, we determined that, though the clinically relevant pathways affected by JQ1 treatment were similar in the two cell lines, the specific transcriptional targets affected by JQ1 differ greatly between MEC1 and MEC2. Specifically, JQ1 downregulated ZAP70, LCK, BTK, and CXCR4 expression in MEC1, whereas JQ1 downregulated CD274 (PDL1), MIR155HG, TRAF1, MALAT1, and CCR7 expression in MEC2. Interestingly, the only transcripts that overlapped in the three-way comparison were DACT1 and the CD23 activation marker gene FCER2. Based on our analysis, JQ1 may have the potential to indiscriminately inhibit certain CLL oncogenes that drive heterogeneous CLL subsets. These results and our ongoing genome-wide ChIPseq analysis of H3K27Ac marks in MEC1 and MEC2 will help determine whether bromodomain inhibition could potentially serve as a promising therapeutic against CLL clonal and subclonal expansion.

Citation Format: Austin Y. Shull, Jeong-Hyeon Choi, Brian Buckley, Lirong Pei, Farrukh T. Awan, Huidong Shi. Transcriptome analysis demonstrates the ability of the bromodomain inhibitor JQ1 to attenuate expression of common oncogenes heterogeneously expressed among chronic lymphocytic leukemia subsets. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 2191. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-2191

Abstract 4060: Promoter methylation regulates interferon-γ induced indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase expression in breast cancer

Indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase 1, encoded by IDO1, is a key immunosuppressive enzyme that catabolizes essential amino acid tryptophan to kynurenine in the tumor microenvironment. Severe depletion of tryptophan by IDO1 affects proliferation of T cells and tryptophan metabolites cause T-cell anergy and induce apoptosis. In this study, we investigated the epigenetic regulation of IDO1 expression by DNA methylation in breast cancer cells. Bisulfite pyrosequencing analysis of IDO1 promoter methylation performed on a panel of 10 breast cancer cell lines revealed that triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines (i.e. MDA-MB-231, Hs578t, SUM159) are hypomethylated compared to estrogen receptor positive (ER+) cell lines (i.e. MCF7, BT474, T47D). The same analysis was extended to 30 primary breast tumor and normal control samples and the results demonstrated that TNBC tumors had lower IDO1 promoter methylation compared to ER+ tumors. RT-PCR analysis showed that IDO1 mRNA expression is higher in TNBC cell lines than ER+ cell lines. This inverse correlation between IDO1 promoter methylation and mRNA expression can also be observed in TCGA 450K methylation and RNA-seq data sets in which promoter is hypomethylated and mRNA is up-regulated in basal-like molecular subtypes as compared to other breast cancer subtypes. IDO1 promoter is relatively CpG poor with most CpG sites concentrated near interferon γ (IFNg) responsive GAS and ISRE transcription factor binding sites. To investigate the role of CpG methylation in regulating IDO1 induction by IFNg, we cloned either methylated or unmethylated IDO1 promoter DNA into a luciferase reporter plasmid. Methylated promoter reporter exhibited significantly lower luciferase activity at basal or with IFNg stimulation compared to unmethylated reporter plasmid when transfected into MCF-7 or MDA-MB-231 cell lines. Treatment with a demethylating agent, 5-aza-deoxycytidine, synergistically up-regulated IDO1 mRNA expression with IFNg in MCF7 cells which have hypermethylated IDO1 promoter further supporting the influence of CpG methylation on IDO1 expression. IFNg stimulation or co-culture with activated T-cells significantly induced IDO1 protein expression in MDA-MB-231 cells, but not in MCF7 cells. We found no difference in IDO1 mRNA stability and IFNg induced JAK/STAT signaling pathway between MDA-MB-231 and MCF7 cell lines except promoter methylation. Furthermore, RNA-seq analysis of MDA-MB-231 and MCF7 cell lines co-cultured with activated T-cells revealed an active immune signaling mediated through JAK/STAT pathway shared by both cell lines, but also differential induction of IDO1 transcription between these two cell lines. These findings indicate IDO1 promoter methylation status as an important factor that regulates anti-immune responses by tumor cells towards tumor infiltrating lymphocytes and it could be used as a useful biomarker for IDO inhibitor based immunotherapy.

Citation Format: Satish Kumar Reddy Noonepalle, Eun Joon Lee, Maria Ouzounova, Jaejik Kim, Jeong-Hyeon Choi, Austin Shull, Lirong Pei, Ravindra Kolhe, Pei-Yin Hsu, Nagireddy Putluri, Tim Hui-Ming Huang, Arun Sreekumar, Hasan Korkaya, David Munn, Huidong Shi. Promoter methylation regulates interferon-γ induced indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase expression in breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 4060. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-4060

Identification of Global DNA Methylation Signatures in Glioblastoma-Derived Cancer Stem Cells

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and most aggressive primary brain tumor in adults. The existence of a small population of stem-like tumor cells that efficiently propagate tumors and resist cytotoxic therapy is one proposed mechanism leading to the resilient behavior of tumor cells and poor prognosis. In this study, we performed an in-depth analysis of the DNA methylation landscape in GBM-derived cancer stem cells (GSCs). Parallel comparisons of primary tumors and GSC lines derived from these tumors with normal controls (a neural stem cell (NSC) line and normal brain tissue) identified groups of hyper- and hypomethylated genes that display a trend of either increasing or decreasing methylation levels in the order of controls, primary GBMs, and their counterpart GSC lines, respectively. Interestingly, concurrent promoter hypermethylation and gene body hypomethylation were observed in a subset of genes including MGMT, AJAP1 and PTPRN2. These unique DNA methylation signatures were also found in primary GBM-derived xenograft tumors indicating that they are not tissue culture-related epigenetic changes. Integration of GSC-specific epigenetic signatures with gene expression analysis further identified candidate tumor suppressor genes that are frequently down-regulated in GBMs such as SPINT2, NEFM and PENK. Forced re-expression of SPINT2 reduced glioma cell proliferative capacity, anchorage independent growth, cell motility, and tumor sphere formation in vitro. The results from this study demonstrate that GSCs possess unique epigenetic signatures that may play important roles in the pathogenesis of GBM.

DNMT1 is essential for mammary and cancer stem cell maintenance and tumorigenesis

Mammary stem/progenitor cells (MaSCs) maintain self-renewal of the mammary epithelium during puberty and pregnancy. DNA methylation provides a potential epigenetic mechanism for maintaining cellular memory during self-renewal. Although DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) are dispensable for embryonic stem cell maintenance, their role in maintaining MaSCs and cancer stem cells (CSCs) in constantly replenishing mammary epithelium is unclear. Here we show that DNMT1 is indispensable for MaSC maintenance. Furthermore, we find that DNMT1 expression is elevated in mammary tumors, and mammary gland-specific DNMT1 deletion protects mice from mammary tumorigenesis by limiting the CSC pool. Through genome-scale methylation studies, we identify ISL1 as a direct DNMT1 target, hypermethylated and downregulated in mammary tumors and CSCs. DNMT inhibition or ISL1 expression in breast cancer cells limits CSC population. Altogether, our studies uncover an essential role for DNMT1 in MaSC and CSC maintenance and identify DNMT1-ISL1 axis as a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer treatment.

Abstract 1379: Identification of global DNA methylation signatures in glioblastoma-derived cancer stem cells

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and most aggressive brain tumor in adults. Its frequent recurrence after resection and dismal prognosis are thought to be due to a small population of stem-like tumor cells that efficiently propagate tumors and resist cytotoxic therapy. In this study, we performed an in depth analysis of the DNA methylation landscape in GBM-derived cancer stem cells (GSCs). Parallel comparisons of primary GBM tumors and GSC lines derived from these tumors with normal controls (a neural stem cell (NSC) line and normal brain tissue) identified two groups hyper- and hypomethylated of genes that display a trend of either increasing or decreasing methylation levels in the order of controls, primary GBMs, and their counterpart GSC lines, respectively. Interestingly, concurrent promoter hypermethylation and gene body hypomethylation were observed in a subset of genes including MGMT, AJAP1 and PTPRN2. These unique DNA methylation signatures were also be found in primary GBM-derived xenograft tumors suggesting that they were not tissue culture-related epigenetic changes. Integration of GSC-specific epigenetic signatures with gene expression analysis further identified candidate tumor suppressor genes that are frequently down regulated in GBMs such as SPINT2, NEFM, and PENK. The comparison between the NSC line and the normal brain tissue sample leads to the identification of a group of NSC-specific differentially methylated regions (nsDMRs). Cluster analysis using nsDMRs revealed the presence of stem cell-specific DNA methylation signatures in both primary GBM and GSC lines. Higher expression of genes associated with stem cell-specific DNA methylation signatures such as DNMT3A, STAT5A, CSTB, PMEPA1 and G6PD in GBM patients was found to be associated with poor patient survival. The results from this study demonstrate the utility of using cancer stem cell models for advancing understanding of the pathobiology of gliomas.

Citation Format: Eun Joon Lee, Prakash Rath, Jimei Liu, Dungsheng Ryu, Alan Free, Lirong Pei, Douglas C Anthony, Suash Sharma, Mark D Kirk, John J. Laterra, Duck Hwan Ryu, Jeong-Hyeon Choi, Huidong Shi, Douglas C. Miller, N. Scott Litofsky, Qi Feng. Identification of global DNA methylation signatures in glioblastoma-derived cancer stem cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1379. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1379

Abstract 5182: Identifying differential gene expression and splicing events in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients through whole transcriptome profiling

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a cancer in which B-lymphocytes proliferate in an unchecked manner and escape normal apoptotic death. It is one of the most common leukemias in the Western world, and currently, there is no cure for CLL due to the heterogeneous ways in which it can proliferate. Due to the dynamics of how CLL can develop, it is very critical to investigate the oncogenic mechanisms that allow particular clinical CLL subtypes to expand, as well as discovering potential underlying mechanisms that are common among all CLL patients. With this comprehensive goal in mind, we investigated the gene expression landscape in CLL by performing whole transcriptome analysis via RNA sequencing in 47 CLL patients and 5 normal CD19+ B-cell donors to determine differential expression and isoform patterns in CLL. Between CLL and normal CD19+ B-cells, there were 725 differentially expressed genes (FDR p&lt;.01), with 217 of these genes being upregulated in CLL. Several of these upregulated genes include CTLA4, CD276, CLNK, and PDCD1, all of which are involved in T-cell interactions. We also discovered significant upregulation in the kinase suppressor of Ras 2 (KSR2) gene, an event previously not reported in CLL. We also see clear clinical separation of IGHV unmutated vs. IGHV mutated CLL patients based solely on the expression signature created by hierarchical clustering. Examples of prognostic genes that correspond to IGHV status include previously identified genes LPL, LDOC1, PTCH1, and CRY1, as well as potentially novel prognostic expression markers SPG20, ARSD, KLK2, and MTSS1. We also utilized the SpliceSeq algorithm software and investigated the differential isoform patterns that take place between CLL patients and normal B-cell donors. Based on the results, we discovered 300 alternative promoter, 135 alternative terminator, 287 exon skipping, and 30 premature stop events that differ between CLL and normal B-cells. From these results, we validated two isoform switching events that take place in the splicing machinery genes SF3B1 and SNRNP70. For SF3B1, a short transcript devoid of the critical protein domains is overexpressed in CLL compared to the normal B-cell counterpart. For SNRNP70, a particular transcript transcribed by an alternative promoter is overexpressed in CLL patients compared to normal CD19+ B-cells. This overexpressed SNRNP70 isoform does not contain the RNA recognition motif crucial for 5′ RNA binding and splicing initiation, thus theoretically rendering its canonical action nonfunctional. Overall, transcriptome profiling of CLL patients using RNA sequencing allowed for discovery of differential expression changes previously not reported in CLL, as well as discovering novel splicing events that provide insight into potentially new oncogenic mechanisms in CLL proliferation.

Citation Format: Austin Y. Shull, Junfeng Luo, Jeong-Hyeon Choi, Lirong Pei, Farrukh T. Awan, Eun-Joon Lee, Jimei Liu, Phillip J. Buckhaults, Xiao-Jie Yan, Nicholas Chiorazzi, Huidong Shi. Identifying differential gene expression and splicing events in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients through whole transcriptome profiling. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 5182. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-5182

Large-scale characterization of DNA methylation changes in human gastric carcinomas with and without metastasis

PURPOSE

Metastasis is the leading cause of death for gastric carcinoma. An epigenetic biomarker panel for predicting gastric carcinoma metastasis could have significant clinical impact on the care of patients with gastric carcinoma. The main purpose of this study is to characterize the methylation differences between gastric carcinomas with and without metastasis.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Genome-wide DNA methylation profiles between 4 metastatic and 4 nonmetastatic gastric carcinomas and their surgical margins (SM) were analyzed using methylated-CpG island amplification with microarray. The methylation states of 73 candidate genes were further analyzed in patients with gastric carcinoma in a discovery cohort (n=108) using denatured high performance liquid chromatography, bisulfite-sequencing, and MethyLight. The predictive values of potential metastasis-methylation biomarkers were validated in cohorts of patients with gastric carcinoma in China (n=330), Japan (n=129), and Korea (n=153).

RESULTS

The gastric carcinoma genome showed significantly higher proportions of hypomethylation in the promoter and exon-1 regions, as well as increased hypermethylation of intragenic fragments when compared with SMs. Significant differential methylation was validated in the CpG islands of 15 genes (P<0.05) and confirmed using bisulfite sequencing. These genes included BMP3, BNIP3, CDKN2A, ECEL1, ELK1, GFRA1, HOXD10, KCNH1, PSMD10, PTPRT, SIGIRR, SRF, TBX5, TFPI2, and ZNF382. Methylation changes of GFRA1, SRF, and ZNF382 resulted in up- or downregulation of their transcription. Most importantly, the prevalence of GFRA1, SRF, and ZNF382 methylation alterations was consistently and coordinately associated with gastric carcinoma metastasis and the patients' overall survival throughout discovery and validation cohorts in China, Japan, and Korea.

CONCLUSION

Methylation changes of GFRA1, SRF, and ZNF382 may be a potential biomarker set for prediction of gastric carcinoma metastasis.

Caesarean delivery, caesarean delivery on maternal request and childhood overweight: a Chinese birth cohort study of 181 380 children

What is already known about this subject Both rates of caesarean section and childhood overweight have been steadily increasing over the past decade in many parts of the world. Caesarean delivery on maternal request contributes remarkably to the rising trend of caesarean births. A few small-scale studies suggest that caesarean section may be associated with later overweight and obesity, whereas little is known about the impact of caesarean delivery on maternal request. What this study adds Caesarean section is associated with an increased risk of childhood overweight. Children born by caesarean delivery on maternal request are also more likely to be overweight. The strength of the caesarean-overweight association is modest.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the impact of caesarean delivery including non-medically indicated maternal request caesarean delivery on childhood overweight.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective investigation of a Chinese birth cohort involving 181 380 children, who were born during 1993-1996 to mothers registered in a perinatal care surveillance system and whose weight and height were measured in 2000. Information on delivery mode and covariates was obtained from the surveillance system. Overweight was defined according to the International Obesity Task Force body mass index (BMI) cutoffs. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios. Stratified analyses were done to test whether the association between caesarean section and overweight persisted across subgroups.

RESULTS

The adjusted odds ratio of overweight for children born by caesarean compared with vaginal delivery was 1.13 [95% confidence interval {CI}: 1.08, 1.18]. The association persisted in subgroups stratified by gender, maternal education, maternal BMI, weight gain during pregnancy and child birthweight (all P values for interaction test ≥0.30). The adjusted odds ratio of overweight for children born by non-medically indicated caesarean delivery compared with vaginal delivery was 1.18 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.41).

CONCLUSION

Caesarean delivery including non-medically indicated maternal request caesarean delivery compared with vaginal delivery modestly increases childhood overweight risk.

Annexin 1: a glucocorticoid-inducible protein that modulates inflammatory pain

Annexin 1, a glucocorticoid (GC)-inducible protein, can play an important role via formyl peptide receptor like 1 (FPR2/ALX, also known as FPRL1) in inflammatory pain modulation. The aim of this review is to analyze different lines of evidence for the role of ANXA1 with different mechanisms on inflammatory pain and describe the profile of ANXA1 as a potential analgesic. A Medline (PUBMED) search using the terms 'Annexin 1 distribution OR expression, FPR2/ALX distribution OR expression, Annexin 1 AND pain, Annexin 1 AND FPR2/ALX AND pain' was performed. Articles with a publication date up to Nov. 1st, 2012 were included. The antinociception of ANXA1 has been evaluated in diverse pain models. It has been suggested that ANXA1 may exerts its action via: (1) inhibiting vital cytokines involved in pain transmission, (2) inhibiting neutrophil accumulation through preventing transendothelial migration via an interaction with formyl peptide receptors, (3) facilitating tonic opioid release from neutrophil in inflammatory site, (4) interrupting the peripheral nociceptive transmission by suppressing neuronal excitability. In general, ANXA1 is a potential mediator for anti-nociception and the role with its receptor constitute attractive targets for developing anesthesia and analgesic drugs, and their interaction may prove to be a useful strategy to treat inflammatory pain.

A functional variant in IL12B promoter modulates its expression and associates with increased risk of allergic asthma

The interleukin-12B (IL12B) gene encodes the p40 chain of IL-12, a pro-inflammatory cytokine that antagonizes Th2 phenotype and, hence, may have a critical role in the pathogenesis of allergic asthma. In this report, we describe the identification of a novel IL12B promoter polymorphism (T-to-A exchange) at position -536. The IL12B -536AA genotype was significantly associated with asthma in the Chinese populations (P=0.011, odds ratio=2.227). The risk-associated A allele was linked to reduced expression of IL12B mRNA levels and IL12B production in asthmatic patients. Luciferase reporter assay provided evidence that risk-associated A allele reduced the promoter activity of IL12B gene compared with those of the promoter containing the protective T allele. We further observed that decreasing binding effects between the risk alleles A of IL12B and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPα) through A allele sequence mediated streptavidin-conjugated agarose pulldown and biotin-labelled A allele mediated electrophoretic mobility shift assay. We also observed additive effects of the risk alleles of IL12B and decreased mRNA levels of C/EBPα in asthmatic patients. Therefore, we postulated that the presence of -536A allele in IL12B promoter could predispose to the development of allergic asthma.

A systematic evaluation of miRNA:mRNA interactions involved in the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells

In this study we performed a systematic evaluation of functional miRNA-mRNA interactions associated with the invasiveness of breast cancer cells using a combination of integrated miRNA and mRNA expression profiling, bioinformatics prediction, and functional assays. Analysis of the miRNA expression identified 11 miRNAs that were differentially expressed, including 7 down-regulated (miR-200c, miR-205, miR-203, miR-141, miR-34a, miR-183, and miR-375) and 4 up-regulated miRNAs (miR-146a, miR-138, miR-125b1 and miR-100), in invasive cell lines when compared to normal and less invasive cell lines. Transfection of miR-200c, miR-205, and miR-375 mimics into MDA-MB-231 cells led to the inhibition of in vitro cell migration and invasion. The integrated analysis of miRNA and mRNA expression identified 35 known and novel target genes of miR-200c, miR-205, and mir-375, including CFL2, LAMC1, TIMP2, ZEB1, CDH11, PRKCA, PTPRJ, PTPRM, LDHB, and SEC23A. Surprisingly, the majority of these genes (27 genes) were target genes of miR-200c, suggesting that miR-200c plays a pivotal role in regulating the invasiveness of breast cancer cells. We characterized one of the target genes of miR-200c, CFL2, and demonstrated that CFL2 is overexpressed in aggressive breast cancer cell lines and can be significantly down-regulated by exogenous miR-200c. Tissue microarray analysis further revealed that CFL2 expression in primary breast cancer tissue correlated with tumor grade. The results obtained from this study may improve our understanding of the role of these candidate miRNAs and their target genes in relation to breast cancer invasiveness and ultimately lead to the identification of novel biomarkers associated with prognosis.

Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis reveals novel epigenetic changes in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

We conducted a genome-wide DNA methylation analysis in CD19 (+) B-cells from chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients and normal control samples using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS). The methylation status of 1.8-2.3 million CpGs in the CLL genome was determined; about 45% of these CpGs were located in more than 23,000 CpG islands (CGIs). While global CpG methylation was similar between CLL and normal B-cells, 1764 gene promoters were identified as being differentially methylated in at least one CLL sample when compared with normal B-cell samples. Nineteen percent of the differentially methylated genes were involved in transcriptional regulation. Aberrant hypermethylation was found in all HOX gene clusters and a significant number of WNT signaling pathway genes. Hypomethylation occurred more frequently in the gene body including introns, exons, and 3'-UTRs in CLL. The NFATc1 P2 promoter and first intron was found to be hypomethylated and correlated with upregulation of both NFATc1 RNA and protein expression levels in CLL suggesting that an epigenetic mechanism is involved in the constitutive activation of NFAT activity in CLL cells. This comprehensive DNA methylation analysis will further our understanding of the epigenetic contribution to cellular dysfunction in CLL.

Socioeconomic status and children with intellectual disability in China

BACKGROUND

Intellectual disability (ID) accounts for 70% of all disabilities among children in China's Second National Sampling Survey on Disability. Although studies have shown a relationship between social class and ID in children, none have investigated the association of socioeconomic variables in Chinese children with mild or severe ID.

METHODS

Data for children aged 0-6 years with and without ID were abstracted from the Second National Sampling Survey on Disability in China, conducted in 2006. Crude odds ratios showed the effect of sociodemographic factors on mild and severe ID. Adjusted odds ratios (OR(a) ) (95% confidence intervals) estimated the independent effects of these factors.

RESULTS

For both mild and severe ID, risk of having ID increased with male sex, birth to a woman aged 35 years and older, lower maternal education, mother's older age at delivery, lower income and rural residence. After age, gender and parent disability were controlled, mothers aged 35 years and older were more likely to have a child with ID: mild ID, OR(a) 1.47 (1.15-1.88); severe ID, OR(a) 1.32 (1.00-1.73). There was an approximate increasing monotonic risk of severe ID with increasing socioeconomic disadvantage: lowest income, OR(a) 3.00 (2.19-4.12); low income, OR(a) 2.28 (1.63-3.19); lower middle income, OR(a) 1.72 (1.27-2.33); middle income, OR(a) 1.73 (1.28-2.36).

CONCLUSIONS

There is a significant relationship between sociodemographic factors and ID. Similar patterns were found for both mild and severe ID. Recommendations are given for preventing ID in Chinese children.

Annexin 1 exerts anti-nociceptive effects after peripheral inflammatory pain through formyl-peptide-receptor-like 1 in rat dorsal root ganglion

BACKGROUND

Annexin 1 (ANXA1) has analgesic effects in inflammatory pain. We aimed to investigate the anti-nociceptive role of ANXA1, at the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) level, through an interaction with formyl-peptide-receptor-like 1 (FPR2/ALX).

METHODS

Inflammatory pain was evoked by injecting complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA, 50 μl) into the hindpaw of male Sprague-Dawley rats. The distribution of ANXA1 and FPR2/ALX in L4/5 DRGs was evaluated by immunofluorescence. The expression of ANXA1 was measured by western blot. The involvement of FPR2/ALX in the anti-nociception of ANXA1 was investigated by thermal (irradiant heat) and mechanical (von Frey filament) pain tests with intrathecal (i.t.) ANXA1-derived peptide (Anxa1(2-26)), FPR2/ALX agonist 5(S)-6(R)-7-trihydroxyheptanoic-acid-methyl-ester (BML-111), and antagonist N-t-Boc-Phe-Leu-Phe-Leu-Phe (Boc1).

RESULTS

ANXA1 and FPR2/ALX localized in the satellite glial cells and neurones in L4/5 DRGs. CFA treatment (n=20) increased ANXA1 expression in L4/5 DRGs within 7 days (P<0.01). I.T. Anxa1(2-26) (20 and 100 µg µl(-1)) and BML-111 (10 and 100 nmol) reduced CFA-induced thermal and mechanical nociception within 48 h (n=40) (P<0.05). However, i.t. Boc1 10 µg intensified inflammatory pain (P<0.05) and reversed the anti-nociceptive effect of Anxa1(2-26) (n=25) (P<0.05). Moreover, ANXA1 expression increased in L4/5 DRGs after i.t. Anxa1(2-26) (20 µg µl(-1)) (P<0.05) and BML-111 (10 nmol) (P<0.01) but decreased after i.t. Boc1 (10 and 100 µg) alone (P<0.01) or Boc1 (10 µg) co-injection with Anxa1(2-26) (20 µg µl(-1)) (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Endogenous ANXA1 expression at the DRG level is involved in CFA-induced inflammatory pain, and i.t. ANXA1 20 µg µl(-1) produces its anti-nociceptive effect through FPR2/ALX.

Photonic generation of triangular waveform signals by using a dual-parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator

A photonic approach to generate triangular waveform signals is proposed and analyzed. With active bias control, two sub-MZMs (MZ-a and MZ-b) of a dual-parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator (DP-MZM) operate at minimum transmission point, leaving the main MZM (MZ-c) at quadrature transmission point. Triangular waveform can be observed by a parameter setting of modulation index. The proposal is first analyzed and then validated by simulation. The key significance of the scheme is that it is capable of generating triangular waveform signals via a sinusoid local oscillator.