Comparing the Biological Properties of Double-Stranded DNA Extracted from Human and Porcine Placenta and Salmon Sperm

Background

Double-stranded fragmented extracellular DNA is a participant, inducer, and indicator of various processes occurring in the organism. When investigating the properties of extracellular DNA, the question regarding the specificity of exposure to DNA from different sources has always been raised. The aim of this study was to perform comparative assessment of biological properties of double-stranded DNA obtained from the human placenta, porcine placenta and salmon sperm.

Methods

The intensity of leukocyte-stimulating effect of different dsDNA was assessed in mice after cyclophosphamide-induced cytoreduction. The stimulatory effect of different dsDNA on maturation and functions of human dendritic cells and the intensity of cytokine production by human whole blood cells was analyzed ex vivo. The oxidation level of the dsDNA was also compared.

Results

Human placental DNA exhibited the strongest leukocyte-stimulating effect. DNA extracted from human and porcine placenta exhibited similar stimulatory action on maturation of dendritic cells, allostimulatory capacity, and ability of dendritic cells to induce generation of cytotoxic CD8+CD107a+ T cells in the mixed leukocyte reaction. DNA extracted from salmon sperm stimulated the maturation of dendritic cells, while having no effect on their allostimulatory capacity. DNA extracted from human and porcine placenta was shown to exhibit a stimulatory effect on cytokine secretion by human whole blood cells. The observed differences between the DNA preparations can be caused by the total methylation level and are not related to differences in oxidation level of DNA molecules.

Conclusions

Human placental DNA exhibited the maximum combination of all biological effects.

Analyzing the relationship between the cytokine profile of invasive breast carcinoma, its histopathological characteristics and metastasis to regional lymph nodes

This study was aimed at analyzing the relations of metastasis to regional lymph nodes (RLNs) with histopathological indicators of invasive breast carcinoma of no special type (IC-NST) and its cytokine profile. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were performed to determine concentrations of IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17, IL-18, IL-1β, IL-1Ra, TNF-α, IFN-γ, G-CSF, GM-CSF, VEGF-A, and MCP-1 in the culture supernatant of IC-NST samples from 48 female patients. Histopathological indicators (degree of tumor cell differentiation, mitoses, and others) and ER, PR, Her2/neu, Ki-67, and CD34 expression levels were determined. By means of three types of neural network models, it was shown that for different parameters of the output layer, different groups of parameters are involved that have predictive value regarding metastasis to RLNs. As a result of multi-dimensional cluster analysis, three clusters were formed with different cytokines profiles of IC-NST. Different correlations between indicators of cytokine production by IC-NST and its histopathological parameters were revealed in groups with different cytokine profiles. It was shown that at simultaneous evaluation of the production of even two cytokines, the importance of which relationship with metastasis was revealed by neural network modeling, can increase the probability of determining the presence of metastasis in the RLNs.

Cytokines in various molecular subtypes of breast cancer

INTRODUCTION

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease that has multiple molecular and morphological subtypes. Nonetheless, the relation between various molecular subtypes and functional characteristics of a tumor in terms of cytokine secretion remains unknown.

METHODS

We studied spontaneous and mitogen-induced cytokine secretion by invasive breast carcinoma of no special type (IBC NST; cultured tumors and cultured peripheral blood cells), depending on a molecular tumor subtype (where "mitogens" means "polyclonal activators" (PA): phytohemagglutinin p, phytohemagglutinin M, concanavalin A, and Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to determine concentrations of IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17, IL-18, IL-1β, IL-1Ra, TNF-α, IFN-γ, G-CSF, GM-CSF, VEGF, and MCP-1 in culture supernatants of the tumors and peripheral blood cells.

RESULTS

The luminal B HER2-positive molecular subtype of IBC NST was found to feature the highest spontaneous secretion of IL-6 and IL-8 and the highest mitogen-induced secretion of IL-6, IL-8, IL-1Ra, and TNF-α by tumors; the highest mitogen-induced secretion of IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, TNF-α, IFN-γ, and G-CSF by peripheral blood cells; and the highest cytokine-producing potential (the ratio of mitogen-induced to spontaneous secretion) of peripheral blood cells for the secretion of IL-6, IL-8, and IL-1Ra as compared to other molecular subtypes. The triple-negative subtype of IBC NST was characterized by the lowest cytokine-producing potential of tumors for the secretion of IL-6 and IL-8 as compared to other molecular subtypes as well as a lower "stimulation index of polyclonal activators" (calculated as (cytokine secretion after incubation with PA)/(spontaneous cytokine secretion)) for IL-18 secretion as compared to luminal subtypes. The XYZ correlated with a suppressive effect of PA on cytokine secretion by tumors of the triple-negative molecular subtype.

CONCLUSION

Therefore, our findings indicate that in IBC NST of luminal B HER2-positive and triple-negative molecular subtypes, the cytokine network has distinctive functional features.

The Relationship Between Cytokine Production, CSF2RA, and IL1R2 Expression in Mammary Adenocarcinoma, Tumor Histopathological Parameters, and Lymph Node Metastasis

Objective:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between cytokine production, GM-CSF receptor (CSF2RA), and IL-1 receptor (IL1R2) expression in mammary adenocarcinoma and their association with it histopathological parameters and lymph node metastasis.

Methods:

We analyzed tumor biopsy samples (cultured in vitro) from 50 women (aged 43-75) with invasive ductal mammary adenocarcinomas. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method the concentrations of interleukin 2, interleukin 6, interleukin 8, interleukin 10, interleukin 17, interleukin 18, interleukin 1β, interleukin 1Ra, tumor necrosis factor α, interferon γ, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and vascular endothelial growth factor A were determined in culture supernatants. The expression of CSF2RA and IL1R2 in tumor biopsy was evaluated by immunohistochemical method.

Results:

We showed that the “cytokine profile” of a tumor (the ability of tumor cells and its microenvironment to produce different cytokines) is very individual. It has been shown that the features of the cytokine profile of the mammary adenocarcinoma are important for the formation and realization of the metastatic potential of the mammary adenocarcinoma. We found correlations between some histopathological parameters of mammary adenocarcinoma and coefficients K_{GM-CSF/CSF2RA} and K_IL-1β/IL1R2, which are the ratios of concentrations of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin -1β to expression of CSF2RA and IL1R2, respectively. K_{GM-CSF/CSF2RA} positively correlated with highly differentiated cells, and K_IL-1β/IL1R2 positively correlated with the number of mitoses, poorly differentiated cells, and a number of lymph nodes with metastases. K_{GM-CSF/CSF2RA} positively correlated with the concentrations of interleukin 6, interleukin 8, interleukin 1Ra, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. K_IL-1β/IL1R2 positively correlated with concentrations of interleukin 1β and interferon γ and negative correlated with the concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor A and tumor necrosis factor α. It is shown that K_IL-1β/IL1R2 can be considered as a prognostic indicator predicting the probability of mammary adenocarcinoma metastasis to regional lymph nodes.

Conclusions:

The ratios of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin 1β cytokines, produced in tumor, to the expression of CSF2RA and IL1R2 depend on levels of interleukin 6, interleukin 8, tumor necrosis factor α, interferon γ, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and vascular endothelial growth factor A and are important factors affecting the progression and metastasis of the breast cancer.

Effects of polyclonal activators on cell differentiation and cytokine production of cultured invasive breast carcinoma of no special type, their association with tumour histopathological parameters and lymph node metastasis

Currently, a number of promising strategies and approaches to cancer treatment include differentiation therapy. However, theoretical and methodological foundations of this field are not yet well developed. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of a mixture of polyclonal activators (PAs; phytohaemagglutinin, concanavalin A and lipopolysaccharide) on cytokine production by biopsy samples of invasive breast carcinoma of no special type (IBC-NST) having various differentiation abilities and metastatic potentials as well as on differentiation status of the IBC-NST biopsy samples. We used ELISAs to investigate spontaneous and PA-stimulated cytokine production in the IBC-NST biopsy samples; from these data, we calculated a cytokine production stimulation index (SIPA). The effect of PAs on tumour cell differentiation was determined via a differentiation stimulation index (DSI). DSI was found to vary within the range 1.0-5.0. After treatment with PAs, in the IBC-NST biopsy samples of group I (DSI <1.25), the production of IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17, IL-18, IL-1β, IL-1Ra, TNF-α and GM-CSF increased; in the biopsy samples of group II (DSI >1.25), the production of IL-6, IL-1β, IL-1Ra, TNF-α, G-CSF and GM-CSF significantly increased, while the production of VEGF-A decreased. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of SIPA revealed that increased production of IL-18 in the IBC-NST biopsy samples after exposure to PAs may block the PA-driven, cytokine-mediated differentiation of moderately differentiated into highly differentiated tumour cells. The ROC analysis also uncovered an association between the responses of tumour cells to PAs and lymph node metastasis observed in the patients. The findings suggest that there is a need for research aimed at finding new drugs for differentiating cancer therapy and at searching for targeted inducers of cytokine production or specific suppressors of their induction.

VEGF-R2 and TNF-R1 expression and cytokine production by samples of mammary adenocarcinomas and correlations with histopathological parameters of these malignant tumors

Currently, the role of cytokines in the tumor progression, including breast cancer, is universally recognized. At the same time, there are still many questions concerning the role of individual cytokines and receptors for cytokines in various morphogenetic processes underlying the tumor progression. The objective of this work was to study cytokine production and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-R2 and VEGF-R1 expression by mammary adenocarcinoma (MAC) and the correlations with histopathological parameters of malignant tumors. The object of the study was cultured tumor biopsy samples from 47 women aged 43-75 years with invasive ductal carcinoma, which was classified as grade II-III adenocarcinoma. It was shown that the cytokine profiles of the supernatants of MAC samples from patients differ greatly. A correlation between the levels of VEGF-R2 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-R1 expression was observed. Correlations were also revealed during analysis of the relations of histopathological MAC indicators with K_{VEGF-R2/VEGF-A} and K_{TNF-R1/TNF-α} coefficients, which are equal, respectively, to the ratio of expression values of receptors VEGF-R2 and TNF-R1 to the concentrations of the relevant cytokines (VEGF-A and TNF-α) in the culture supernatants of the same MAC samples. A direct correlation was identified between K_{VEGF-R/VEGF-A} and some histopathological MAC characteristics: proportion of cells undergoing mitosis or pathological mitosis in MAC and poorly differentiated cells. K_{VEGF-R2/VEGF-A} directly correlated with the concentration in supernatant interleukin (IL)-18 and interferon (IFN)-γ. K_{TNF-R1/TNF-α} was inversely correlated with the concentration in supernatant of IL-1Ra, IL-8, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). The data obtained show that the high-level production of IL-18 and IL-1β by MAC, overexpression of VEGF-R2 in tumor (at relatively low VEGF-A production), and the high level of IFN-γ production are attributed factors contributing to the formation of a population of low-grade cells in the tumor. The factors regulating the population of moderately differentiated cells in the tumor are referred to as IL-1Ra, IL-8, and GM-CSF.

Cytokine production in mammary adenocarcinoma and its microenvironmental cells in patients with or without metastases in regional lymph nodes

In recent years, the concept of formation of a sufficiently autonomous cytokine network in a malignant tumour has emerged. In this regard, the data on the role of this network and its signalling pathways in the process of metastasis are an interesting topic. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro cytokine-producing potential of mammary adenocarcinoma (MAC; and cells of its microenvironment) from patients with or without metastases in regional lymph nodes (LNs). By enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays of culture supernatants, we studied the cytokine production by biopsy samples of MAC: spontaneous and stimulated by polyclonal activators (PAs: phytohaemagglutinin, concanavalin A and lipopolysaccharide). The levels of spontaneous production of interleukin (IL)-10 and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and the amounts of IL-2, IL-10, G-CSF and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) produced during stimulation by PAs, as well as the index of stimulation by polyclonal activators (ISPA) for IL-2 production, were lower for MAC with LN metastasis than for MAC without LN metastasis. The levels of spontaneous production of IL-2 and interferon (IFN)-γ and the ISPA for granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) production were higher for MAC with LN metastasis. There were only three pairwise correlations between the produced cytokines that were specific to MAC with LN metastasis: IL-2 and IFN-γ, IL-6 and GM-CSF, and IL-8 and GM-CSF. There were 10 pairwise correlations between the produced cytokines that were specific to nonmetastasising MAC: IL-6 and IL-10, IL-6 and MCP-1, IL-8 and IL-10, IL-8 and MCP-1, IL-10 and G-CSF, IL-10 and MCP-1, IFN-γ and MCP-1, MCP-1 and G-CSF, G-CSF and IL-1Ra, and GM-CSF and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Our data indicate that metastatic tumours show desynchronisation of many pathways of induction and synthesis of cytokines that are characteristic of nonmetastatic tumours.

Approaches to development of microencapsulated form of the live measles vaccine

Development of delivery of antigens and antigenic complexes using microcapsules or microgranules made of pH-dependent polymers is one of several high priority directions of modern vaccinology. These polymers should protect the virus from acid gastric medium, dissolve or swell readily in weakly alkaline intestinal medium, in no way decrease the specific activities of viral antigens, promote their penetration into intestinal mucosa, and possess adjuvant properties. The State Research Center Vector and "DELSI" are developing the technology for production of microencapsulated form of the live measles vaccine L-16 viruses for oral administration. The authors have so far succeeded in selecting and characterizing a number of polymers that are promising for microencapsulated vaccine and for testing of virus titers and immune response of experimental samples of a new vaccine in animals. Control of samples in guinea pigs demonstrated that the encapsulated measles virus retained its specific activity and capability for inducing immune response in experimental animals.