Interplay of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease and papillary thyroid carcinoma: insights from a Chinese cohort

PURPOSE

Thyroid cancer is one of a set of extrahepatic cancers that closely linked to metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). However, the connection between MAFLD and the characteristics of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) remains unexplored.

METHODS

Between Jan 2020 and Oct 2022, surgical cases of PTC patients were examined at the first Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. Clinical data extracted from the electronic medical system underwent a rigorous comparison between two groups, classified based on MAFLD criteria, using logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

In this study of 4,410 PTC patients, 18.3% had MAFLD. MAFLD emerged as a distinct risk factor for lymph node metastasis (OR = 1.230, 95% CI 1.018-1.487) in this cohort, especially in females (OR = 1.321, 95% CI 1.026-1.702) and those with BMI ≥ 23 kg/m2 (OR = 1.232, 95% CI 1.004-1.511). The presence of MAFLD was found to significantly elevate the risk of BRAF V600E mutation in both subgroups characterized by FIB-4 score ≥ 1.3 (OR = 1.968, 95% CI 1.107-3.496) and BMI < 23 kg/m2 (OR = 2.584, 95% CI 1.012-6.601). Moreover, among the subset of individuals without non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), it was noted that MAFLD considerably increased the likelihood of tumor multifocality (OR = 1.697, 95% CI 1.111-2.592). Nevertheless, MAFLD did not exhibit any correlation with increased tumor size, extra-thyroidal extension (ETE), or later TNM stage in PTC.

CONCLUSION

In this cross-sectional study, we discovered a significant association between MAFLD and increased occurrences of lymph node metastasis. Furthermore, MAFLD was linked to a higher chance of BRAF V600E mutation and the presence of multiple tumors in certain subgroups.

OCTA-500: A retinal dataset for optical coherence tomography angiography study

Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is a novel imaging modality that has been widely utilized in ophthalmology and neuroscience studies to observe retinal vessels and microvascular systems. However, publicly available OCTA datasets remain scarce. In this paper, we introduce the largest and most comprehensive OCTA dataset dubbed OCTA-500, which contains OCTA imaging under two fields of view (FOVs) from 500 subjects. The dataset provides rich images and annotations including two modalities (OCT/OCTA volumes), six types of projections, four types of text labels (age/gender/eye/disease) and seven types of segmentation labels (large vessel/capillary/artery/vein/2D FAZ/3D FAZ/retinal layers). Then, we propose a multi-object segmentation task called CAVF, which integrates capillary segmentation, artery segmentation, vein segmentation, and FAZ segmentation under a unified framework. In addition, we optimize the 3D-to-2D image projection network (IPN) to IPN-V2 to serve as one of the segmentation baselines. Experimental results demonstrate that IPN-V2 achieves an about 10% mIoU improvement over IPN on CAVF task. Finally, we further study the impact of several dataset characteristics: the training set size, the model input (OCT/OCTA, 3D volume/2D projection), the baseline networks, and the diseases. The dataset and code are publicly available at: https://ieee-dataport.org/open-access/octa-500.

Corrections to "Image Projection Network: 3D to 2D Image Segmentation in OCTA Images"

In the above article [1], there is an error in (3). Instead of [Formula: see text] It should be [Formula: see text].

Quantitative multi-image analysis in metals research

Quantitative multi-image analysis (QMA) is the systematic extraction of new information and insight through the simultaneous analysis of multiple, related images. We present examples illustrating the potential for QMA to advance materials research in multi-image characterization, automatic feature identification, and discovery of novel processing-structure-property relationships. We conclude by discussing opportunities and challenges for continued advancement of QMA, including instrumentation development, uncertainty quantification, and automatic parsing of literature data.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1557/s43579-022-00265-7.

From collections of independent, mindless robots to flexible, mobile, and directional superstructures

A swarm of simple active particles confined in a flexible scaffold is a promising system to make mobile and deformable superstructures. These soft structures can perform tasks that are difficult to carry out for monolithic robots because they can infiltrate narrow spaces, smaller than their size, and move around obstacles. To achieve such tasks, the origin of the forces the superstructures develop, how they can be guided, and the effects of external environment, especially geometry and the presence of obstacles, need to be understood. Here, we report measurements of the forces developed by such superstructures, enclosing a number of mindless active rod-like robots, as well as the forces exerted by these structures to achieve a simple function, crossing a constriction. We relate these forces to the self-organization of the individual entities. Furthermore, and based on a physical understanding of what controls the mobility of these superstructures and the role of geometry in such a process, we devise a simple strategy where the environment can be designed to bias the mobility of the superstructure, giving rise to directional motion. Simple tasks-such as pulling a load, moving through an obstacle course, or cleaning up an arena-are demonstrated. Rudimentary control of the superstructures using light is also proposed. The results are of relevance to the making of robust flexible superstructures with nontrivial space exploration properties out of a swarm of simpler and cheaper robots.

Choroidal neovascularization fusion visualization for spectral-domain optical coherence tomography and optical coherence tomography angiography images

PURPOSE

The spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) images and OCT angiography (OCTA) images can provide complementary information for choroidal neovascularization (CNV) visualization. We expected to simultaneously display multifaceted characteristics of CNV in a single projection image.

METHODS

We proposed a fusion method for CNV visualization by combining structural and angiographic images, which mainly involves four steps: (a) Generate SD-OCT and OCTA projection images from original volumetric data with retinal layer restriction. (b) For SD-OCT projection images, enhance retinal vessels and CNV. (c) For OCTA images, detect CNV region based on multimodal data and display the neovascularization in false color. (d) A maximum fusion strategy was adopted to generate the fused images.

RESULTS

Experimental results with 30 cases from 30 patients demonstrate that the fused images are more effective in displaying CNV than single-modality projection images. The average information entropy and the mean gradient in the CNV regions for SD-OCT projection images, OCTA images, and the fusion images are 4.66/0.21, 5.45/0.45, and 6.8/0.58, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed method is more effective for CNV visualization than the conventional single-modality image-based method. The proposed method can combine complementary information from multimodal images and provide a satisfying visual effect.

Image Projection Network: 3D to 2D Image Segmentation in OCTA Images

We present an image projection network (IPN), which is a novel end-to-end architecture and can achieve 3D-to-2D image segmentation in optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) images. Our key insight is to build a projection learning module (PLM) which uses a unidirectional pooling layer to conduct effective features selection and dimension reduction concurrently. By combining multiple PLMs, the proposed network can input 3D OCTA data, and output 2D segmentation results such as retinal vessel segmentation. It provides a new idea for the quantification of retinal indicators: without retinal layer segmentation and without projection maps. We tested the performance of our network for two crucial retinal image segmentation issues: retinal vessel (RV) segmentation and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) segmentation. The experimental results on 316 OCTA volumes demonstrate that the IPN is an effective implementation of 3D-to-2D segmentation networks, and the uses of multi-modality information and volumetric information make IPN perform better than the baseline methods.

Case report: the first case of unilateral retinal pigment epithelium dysgenesis in China

Background

Unilateral retinal pigment epithelium dysgenesis (URPED) is a rare condition and is characterized by a unilateral and solitary lesion in the peripapillary region. The lesion presents with central atrophy, peripheral fibrosis, and hyperplastic changes in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Herein, we report the first case of URPED in a Chinese individual using multimodal imaging techniques such as en-face optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

Case presentation

A 10-year-old girl presented with 20/40 vision in her left eye. Presented as a solitary, unilateral, large and yellowish-white lesion, with fringe-like margins was observed in the posterior pole and lower middle periphery of the left eye continuous with the optic nerve, indicated URPED. Infrared fundal (IR) images showed that the fringe-like contour of the lesion was visible, with diffuse hyperreflective signals specifically in the fovea, while with peripheral dark spots, having a typical leopard-spot like appearance. Fundus autofluorescence (FAF) revealed a markedly scalloped lesion containing a hypoautofluorescence area mixed with an isoautofluorescence area. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) revealed the outer segments of photoreceptors presented with an inhomogeneous signal in the fovea, with a weak local signal. The ellipsoid and interdigitation zones were thinner than normal, while the RPE/Bruch’s complex was not flat, with locally visible protrusions. En-face OCT image at the level of the RPE zone showed a mottled hyperreflective signal with peripheral hyporeflective spots, fringe-like margin lesions. OCTA of the avascular area of the fovea in the superficial, deep, and outer retinal layers appeared to be oval in shape, the choroid capillary layer revealed an increase in the density of the choroidal vasculature in the fovea.

Conclusions

This is the first report on URPED in China. Both en-face OCT and OCTA were essential in observing and studying the disease. Further investigation is required to better define the en-face OCT and OCTA features of URPED and clarify the disease characteristics and prognosis.

[Investigation of treatment and analysis of prognostic risk on enterocutaneous fistula in China: a multicenter prospective study]

Objective: To investigate the diagnosis and treatment for enterocutaneous fistula (ECF) in China, and to explore the prognostic factors of ECF. Methods: A multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted based on the Registration System of Chinese Gastrointestinal Fistula and Intra-Abdominal Infections to collect the clinical data of ECF patients from 54 medical centers in 22 provinces/municipalities from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018. The clinical data included patient gender, age, length of hospital stay, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, underlying diseases, primary diseases, direct causes of ECF, location and type of ECF, complications, treatment and outcomes. All medical records were carefully filled in by the attending physicians, and then re-examined by more than two specialists. The diagnosis of ECF was based on the clinical manifestations, laboratory/imaging findings and intraoperative exploration. Results: A total of 1521 patients with ECF were enrolled, including 1099 males and 422 females, with a median age of 55 years. The top three primary diseases of ECF were malignant tumors in 626 cases (41.2%, including 540 gastrointestinal tumors, accounting for 86.3% of malignant tumors), gastrointestinal ulcers and perforations in 202 cases (13.3%), and trauma in 157 cases (10.3%). The direct causes of ECF were mainly surgical operation in 1194 cases (78.5%), followed by trauma in 156 (10.3%), spontaneous fistula due to Crohn's disease in 92 (6.0%), radiation intestinal injury in 41 (2.7%), severe pancreatitis in 20 (1.3%), endoscopic treatment in 13 (0.9%) and 5 cases (0.3%) of unknown reasons. All the patients were divided into three groups: 1350 cases (88.7%) with simple ECF, 150 (9.9%) with multiple ECF, and 21 (1.4%) with combined internal fistula. Among the patients with simple ECF, 438 cases (28.8%) were jejuno-ileal fistula, 313 (20.6%) colon fistula, 170 (11.2%) rectal fistula, 111 (7.3%) duodenal fistula, 76 (5.0%) ileocecal fistula, 65 (4.3%) ileocolic anastomotic fistula, 55 (3.6%) duodenal stump fistula, 36 (2.4%) gastrointestinal anastomotic fistula, 36 (2.4%) esophagogastric/esophagojejunal anastomotic fistula, 29 (1.9%) gastric fistula and 21 (1.4%) cholangiopancreatiointestinal. Among all the simple ECF patients, 991 were tubular fistula and 359 were labial fistula. A total of 1146 patients finished the treatment, of whom 1061 (92.6%) were healed (586 by surgery and 475 self-healing) and 85 (7.4%) died. A total of 1043 patients (91.0%) received nutritional support therapy, and 77 (6.7%) received fistuloclysis. Infectious source control procedures were applied to 1042 patients, including 711 (62.0%) with active lavage and drainage and 331 (28.9%) with passive drainage. Among them, 841 patients (73.4%) underwent minimally invasive procedures of infectious source control (replacement of drainage tube through sinus tract, puncture drainage, etc.), 201 (17.5%) underwent laparotomy drainage, while 104 (9.1%) did not undergo any drainage measures. A total of 610 patients (53.2%) received definitive operation, 24 patients died within postoperative 30-day with mortality of 3.9% (24/610), 69 (11.3%) developed surgical site infection (SSI), and 24 (3.9%) had a relapse of fistula. The highest cure rate was achieved in ileocecal fistula (100%), followed by rectal fistula (96.2%, 128/133) and duodenal stump fistula (95.7%,44/46). The highest mortality was found in combined internal fistula (3/12) and no death in ileocecal fistula. Univariate prognostic analysis showed that primary diseases as Crohn's disease (χ(2)=6.570, P=0.010) and appendicitis/appendiceal abscess (P=0.012), intestinal fistula combining with internal fistula (χ(2)=5.460, P=0.019), multiple ECF (χ(2)=7.135, P=0.008), esophagogastric / esophagojejunal anastomotic fistula (χ(2)=9.501, P=0.002), ECF at ileocecal junction (P=0.012), non-drainage/passive drainage before the diagnosis of intestinal fistula (χ(2)=9.688, P=0.008), non-drainage/passive drainage after the diagnosis of intestinal fistula (χ(2)=9.711, P=0.008), complicating with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) (χ(2)=179.699, P<0.001), sepsis (χ(2)=211.851, P<0.001), hemorrhage (χ(2)=85.300, P<0.001), pulmonary infection (χ(2)=60.096, P<0.001), catheter-associated infection (χ(2)=10.617, P=0.001) and malnutrition (χ(2)=21.199, P<0.001) were associated with mortality. Multivariate prognostic analysis cofirmed that sepsis (OR=7.103, 95%CI:3.694-13.657, P<0.001), complicating with MODS (OR=5.018, 95%CI:2.170-11.604, P<0.001), and hemorrhage (OR=4.703, 95%CI: 2.300-9.618, P<0.001) were independent risk factors of the death for ECF patients. Meanwhile, active lavage and drainage after the definite ECF diagnosis was the protective factor (OR=0.223, 95%CI: 0.067-0.745, P=0.015). Conclusions: The overall mortality of ECF is still high. Surgical operation is the most common cause of ECF. Complications e.g. sepsis, MODS, hemorrhage, and catheter-associated infection, are the main causes of death. Active lavage and drainage is important to improve the prognosis of ECF.

Sevoflurane induces temporary spatial working memory deficits and synaptic ultrastructure impairments in the hippocampus of neonatal rats

OBJECTIVE

Exposure to volatile anesthetics in neonatal rats could induce neurotoxicity, learning deficits and abnormal social behaviors. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential neurotoxicity induced by sevoflurane.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Postnatal day 7 (P7) Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were continuously exposed to 2% sevoflurane plus 40% oxygen/air for 2 h. We used Morris water maze (MWM) to examine subsequent neurobehavioral performance. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to observe the histopathological changes in the hippocampus.

RESULTS

Neonatal exposure to 2% sevoflurane for 2 hours impaired short-term spatial working memory but not reference memory at P25. It induced synaptic ultrastructure impairments in the CA3 region of hippocampal, including fewer numbers of synapses, thinner thickness of postsynaptic dense, broader synaptic cleft width and smaller synaptic curvature. Our results also showed that all synaptic ultrastructure impairments and neurocognitive deficits had almost completely recovered at P53.

CONCLUSIONS

We showed that a single sevoflurane exposure to neonatal rats led to temporary spatial working memory deficits. It might be associated with synaptic ultrastructure impairments in the CA3 region of the hippocampus, including fewer numbers of synapses, thinner thickness of PSD and broader synaptic cleft width. Fortunately, all the neurotoxicity and neurocognitive deficits were reversible.

Erythropoietin Ameliorates Lung Injury by Accelerating Pulmonary Endothelium Cell Proliferation via Janus Kinase-Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 Pathway After Kidney Ischemia and Reperfusion Injury

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Kidney ischemia and reperfusion injury could cause microvascular barrier dysfunction, lung inflammatory cascades activation, and programmed cell death of pulmonary endothelium, leading to acute lung injury. Our study aimed at determining whether erythropoietin (EPO) can ameliorate lung dysfunction following renal ischemia and reperfusion (IR) injury and explored the underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

In vivo, C57BL/6 mice received EPO (6000 U/kg) before right renal vascular pedicles clamping for 30 minutes, followed by 24 hours of reperfusion. The lung histopathologic changes and inflammatory cytokines expression were assessed. In vitro, cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells were treated with EPO, and apoptosis rate, proliferation capacity, and phosphorylation status of the Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Jak-STAT3) pathway were measured respectively in the presence or absence of lipopolysaccharide stimulation.

RESULTS

In vivo, EPO remarkably attenuated pulmonary interstitial and alveolar epithelial edema caused by renal IR injury. In vitro, the proliferation capacity of human umbilical vein endothelial cells was significantly increased under EPO stimulation, which correlated with changes in Jak-STAT3 signaling.

CONCLUSION

Our data indicated that EPO is able to ameliorate acute lung tissue damage induced by renal IR, and at least in part, via the Jak-STAT3 pathway.

A paternal methyl donor-rich diet altered cognitive and neural functions in offspring mice

Dietary intake of methyl donors, such as folic acid and methionine, shows considerable intra-individual variation in human populations. While it is recognized that maternal departures from the optimum of dietary methyl donor intake can increase the risk for mental health issues and neurological disorders in offspring, it has not been explored whether paternal dietary methyl donor intake influences behavioral and cognitive functions in the next generation. Here, we report that elevated paternal dietary methyl donor intake in a mouse model, transiently applied prior to mating, resulted in offspring animals (methyl donor-rich diet (MD) F1 mice) with deficits in hippocampus-dependent learning and memory, impaired hippocampal synaptic plasticity and reduced hippocampal theta oscillations. Gene expression analyses revealed altered expression of the methionine adenosyltransferase Mat2a and BK channel subunit Kcnmb2, which was associated with changes in Kcnmb2 promoter methylation in MD F1 mice. Hippocampal overexpression of Kcnmb2 in MD F1 mice ameliorated altered spatial learning and memory, supporting a role of this BK channel subunit in the MD F1 behavioral phenotype. Behavioral and gene expression changes did not extend into the F2 offspring generation. Together, our data indicate that paternal dietary factors influence cognitive and neural functions in the offspring generation.

Improved apple latent spherical virus-induced gene silencing in multiple soybean genotypes through direct inoculation of agro-infiltrated Nicotiana benthamiana extract

BACKGROUND

Virus induced gene silencing (VIGS) is a powerful genomics tool for interrogating the function of plant genes. Unfortunately, VIGS vectors often produce disease symptoms that interfere with the silencing phenotypes of target genes, or are frequently ineffective in certain plant genotypes or tissue types. This is especially true in crop plants like soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr]. To address these shortcomings, we modified the inoculation procedure of a VIGS vector based on Apple latent spherical virus (ALSV). The efficacy of this new procedure was assessed in 19 soybean genotypes using a soybean Phytoene desaturase (GmPDS1) gene as the VIGS target. Silencing of GmPDS1 was easily scored as photo-bleached leaves and/or stems.

RESULTS

In this report, the ALSV VIGS vector was modified by mobilizing ALSV cDNAs into a binary vector compatible with Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated delivery, so that VIGS-triggering ALSV variants could be propagated in agro-infiltrated Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Homogenate of these N. benthamiana leaves was then applied directly onto the unifoliate of young soybean seedlings to initiate systemic gene silencing. This rapid inoculation method bypassed the need for a particle bombardment apparatus. Among the 19 soybean genotypes evaluated with this new method, photo-bleaching indicative of GmPDS1 silencing was observed in nine, with two exhibiting photo-bleaching in 100% of the inoculated individuals. ALSV RNA was detected in pods, embryos, stems, leaves, and roots in symptomatic plants of four genotypes.

CONCLUSIONS

This modified protocol allowed for inoculation of soybean plants via simple mechanical rubbing with the homogenate of N. benthamiana leaves agro-infiltrated with ALSV VIGS constructs. More importantly, inoculated plants showed no apparent virus disease symptoms which could otherwise interfere with VIGS phenotypes. This streamlined procedure expanded this functional genomics tool to nine soybean genotypes.

Trithiocarbonates as intrinsic photoredox catalysts and RAFT agents for oxygen tolerant controlled radical polymerization

In this study, we reported on the discovery that trithiocarbonates (RAFT agents) can act as intrinsic photocatalyst to significantly reduce the oxygen level in a controlled radical polymerization under visible light irridation.

HGF/Met and FOXM1 form a positive feedback loop and render pancreatic cancer cells resistance to Met inhibition and aggressive phenotypes

Purpose

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/Met signaling plays critical roles in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) development and progression and is considered a potential therapeutic target for this disease. However, the mechanism of aberrant activation of HGF/Met signaling and resistance to Met inhibition in PDA remains unclear.

Experimental Design

The mechanistic role of cross-talk between Forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) and HGF/Met signaling in promotion of PDA growth and resistance to Met inhibition was examined using cell culture, molecular biology and mouse models; and the relevance of our experimental and mechanistic findings were validated using human PDA tissues.

Results

Met was markedly overexpressed in both PDA cell lines and pancreatic tumor specimens, and the expression of Met correlated directly with that of FOXM1 in human tumor specimens. Mechanistically, FOXM1 bound to the promoter region of the Met gene and transcriptionally increased the expression of Met. Increased expression of FOXM1 enhanced the activation of HGF/Met signaling and its downstream pathways, including RAS/extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, phosphoinositide 3-kinase/AKT, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3. Furthermore, activation of HGF/Met signaling increased the expression and transcriptional activity of FOXM1, and the cross-talk between FOXM1 and HGF/Met signaling promoted PDA growth and resistance to Met inhibition.

Conclusions

Collectively, our findings identified a positive feedback loop formed by FOXM1 and HGF/Met and revealed that this loop is a potentially effective therapeutic target for PDA.

The use of reduced copper metal–organic frameworks to facilitate CuAAC click chemistry

A reduced copper metal–organic framework (rCu-MOF) containing Cu^I ions was prepared and employed as a catalyst for ‘Click’ reactions. The rCu-MOF presents higher catalytic activity, good structural stability as well as facile recyclability compared to traditional copper halide catalysts.

Effect of ORF119 gene deletion on the replication and virulence of orf virus

Orf is a severe infectious disease of sheep and goats caused by orf virus (ORFV). To investigate the role of ORF119 gene of ORFV, we constructed ORFV with deleted ORF119 gene and LacZ as reporter gene (ORFV-Δ119-LacZ) via homologous recombination. The results showed that wild-type ORF-SHZ1 and ORFV-Δ119-LacZ deletion viruses replicated in Vero cells to similar titers. Relative transcriptional levels of virulence genes OVIFNR, GIF, VEGF and VIL-10 of ORFV-Δ119-LacZ deletion virus were slightly but not significantly lower after 24 hr compared with the wtORF-SHZ1 virus. In vivo experiments showed that 2-month-old lambs inoculated with ORFV-Δ119-LacZ deletion virus exhibited a similar total clinical score compared with those inoculated with wtORF-SHZ1 virus. Based on these results, we conclude that deletion of the ORF119 gene has no significant effect on ORFV replication and virulence.

Synthesis of well dispersed polymer grafted metal–organic framework nanoparticles

We prepared novel polymer grafted MOF nanoparticles for the first time with excellent water dispersity and significantly enhanced catalytic effect.

Mixed Nipple Infections Caused by Variant of BPV3 and a Putative New Subtype of BPV in Cattle

Bovine papilloma is a chronic and proliferative skin and mucosal wart caused by Bovine papillomavirus (BPV). In June, 2013, a leaf-and flat-shaped wart disease was observed on the nipple skins in a cattle farm in Xinjiang. To diagnose the disease, we collected the diseased skins for pathological biopsy and DNA analysis by PCR amplification using a pair of degenerate primers FAP59 and FAP64. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis showed that the infection was caused by a variant of BPV3 and putatively a new subtype of BPV (BPV/CHI-SW1, belonging to the Xi papillomavirus genus). This is the first report of mixed infection caused by variant of BPV3 and BPV (putatively new subtype) in China, and would be of importance for the molecular epidemiological study of the disease.

A novel decoy receptor fusion protein for FGF-2 potently inhibits tumour growth

BACKGROUND

Antiangiogenic therapies have been proven effective in cancer treatment. Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) has been functionally implicated in tumour angiogenesis and is an important target of antiangiogenic therapies. The aim of this work was to develop a novel FGF-2 inhibitor for cancer therapy.

METHODS

Eleven fusion proteins were developed by fusing various truncated extracellular regions of FGFR1 with the Fc region of IgG1. The optimal decoy receptor fusion protein with the highest binding affinity for FGF-2 was identified by an FGF-2-binding assay and its potential antitumour effects were investigated.

RESULTS

We obtained a soluble decoy receptor fusion protein with the highest binding activity for FGF-2, named FGF-Trap. Fibroblast growth factor-Trap significantly abolished FGF-2-stimulated activation of FGF signalling as demonstrated by its suppression of FGF-2-mediated phosphorylation of Erk1/2 and Akt, upregulation of cyclins D1 and E and the increase in mRNA levels of vascular endothelial growth factor R1 and R2 (VEGFR1 and VEGFR2). Furthermore, FGF-Trap effectively suppressed FGF-2-induced proliferation and migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro. Most importantly, FGF-Trap potently inhibited tumour growth and angiogenesis in Caki-1 and A549 xenograft models in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

Fibroblast growth factor-Trap potently inhibits tumour growth by blocking FGF-2 signalling pathways and could be an effective therapeutic agent for cancer patients.

GOLPH3 is a novel marker of poor prognosis and a potential therapeutic target in human renal cell carcinoma

Background:

Golgi phosphoprotein 3 (GOLPH3) has been reported to be involved in the development of several human cancers. The present study was conducted to investigate the expression of GOLPH3 and its prognostic significance in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Meanwhile, the function of GOLPH3 in human RCC was further investigated in cell culture models.

Methods:

Expression of GOLPH3 was examined in 43 fresh RCC tissues and paired adjacent normal renal tissues by real-time quantitative PCR and western blotting. Immunohistochemistry for GOLPH3 was performed on additional 218 RCC tissues. The clinical significance of GOLPH3 expression was analysed. Downregulation of GOLPH3 was performed using small-interfering RNA (siRNA) in Caki-1 and 786-O cells with high abundance of GOLPH3, and the effects of GOLPH3 silencing on cell proliferation, migration, invasion in vitro, and tumour growth in vivo were evaluated.

Results:

Expression of GOLPH3 was upregulated in the majority of the RCC clinical tissue specimens at both mRNA and protein levels. Clinicopathological analysis showed that GOLPH3 expression was significantly correlated with T stage (P<0.001), lymph-node status (P=0.003), distant metastasis (P<0.001), tumour-node-metastasis (TNM) stage (P<0.001), and Fuhman grade (P=0.001). Expression of GOLPH3 was inversely correlated with both overall and recurrence-free survival of RCC patients. Multivariate analysis showed that GOLPH3 expression was an independent prognostic indicator for patient's survival. Knockdown of the GOLPH3 expression reduced cell proliferation, anchorage-independent growth, migration, invasion, and tumour growth in xenograft model mice.

Conclusions:

These results suggest that GOLPH3 expression is likely to have important roles in RCC development and progression, and that GOLPH3 is a prognostic biomarker and a promising therapeutic target for RCC.

Prognostic and diagnostic significance of annexin A2 in colorectal cancer

AIM

Annexin A2 (ANXA2) is known to be a tumourigenic molecule and is highly expressed in colorectal cancer (CRC). Its diagnostic and prognostic value is not fully understood. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between ANXA2 expression, clinicopathological characteristics, tumour recurrence and survival.

METHOD

Immunohistochemical staining was used to evaluate ANXA2 expression in 150 matched samples from patients with CRC. Overall survival and recurrence were determined by Kaplan-Meier analysis. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine independent factors contributing to survival and recurrence. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and liner correlation analysis were used to estimate the sensitivity and specificity of ANXA2 expression for clinical diagnosis.

RESULTS

ANXA2 was found to be strongly expressed in poorly differentiated tumours (P < 0.001), late stage (P = 0.020) and lymph node positivity (P = 0.002). ANXA2 expression was significantly related to recurrence (P < 0.001) and survival (P = 0.002). The Cox proportional hazards model indicated that ANXA2 expression [P < 0.001, hazard ratio (HR) = 1.366, 95% CI 1.232-1.515] and tumour location (P = 0.039, HR = 1.891, 95% CI 1.034-3.456) were independent factors in predicting overall survival while ANXA2 expression (P < 0.001, HR = 1.445, 95% CI 1.222-1.709) were independent factors predicting recurrence. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) (AUC = 0.768, 95% CI = 0.642-0.894) and liner correlation analysis suggested that ANXA2 was suitable for the clinical diagnosis of CRC.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that ANXA2 is a biomarker with diagnostic and prognostic potential for patients with CRC.

Patients get more long-term benefit from central pancreatectomy than distal resection: a meta-analysis

AIMS

Central pancreatectomy (CP) protects more normal pancreatic parenchyma than distal pancreatectomy (DP), but the safety, feasibility and long-term benefit of CP are inconclusive. This meta-analysis aims to ascertain the relative merits of CP.

METHODS

A systematic literature research was performed to identify comparative studies on CP and DP. Perioperative and long-term outcomes constituted the end points. Pooled risk ratios (RR) and weighted mean differences (WMD) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated using either fixed effects or random effects model.

RESULTS

Nine studies with 735 patients were included in this meta-analysis. Although CP cost more operative time than DP, the two groups had no significant differences in the volume of intraoperative blood loss, rate of intraoperative blood transfusion and length of postoperative hospital stay. According to the postoperative outcomes, although the CP group had higher overall complication rate (Fixed effects model; RR: 1.30; 95% CI: 1.05-1.62; P < 0.05) as well as overall pancreatic fistula rate (Fixed effects model; RR: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.20-2.08; P < 0.05), the two groups did not differ significantly in the fateful surgical complications such as clinically significant pancreatic fistula (Grades B and C), postoperative bleeding, reoperation and intra-abdominal effusion/abscess. Furthermore, the perioperative mortality rate was comparable between the two groups. During the follow-up period, the patients after DP were more likely to suffer pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (Fixed effects model; RR: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.32-0.86; P < 0.05) and endocrine impairment (Fixed effects model; RR: 0.19; 95% CI: 0.11-0.33; P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

CP was still an acceptable and feasible procedure, especially when considering the postoperative pancreatic function preservation ability by CP.

Cytokine-induced apoptosis in transformed murine fibroblasts involves synthesis of endogenous nitric-oxide

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the synthesis of endogenous nitric oxide (NO) is involved in the apoptosis of murine L929 transformed fibroblasts. L929 parental cells and L929 cells selected for resistance to tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) were incubated in vitro with various concentrations of TNF-alpha, interleukin-1, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the presence or absence of mouse interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). The combination of subthreshold concentrations of IFN-gamma with the cytokines or LPS produced significant cell death within 48 h incubation. This cell death was associated with the induction of high levels of NO. Both cell death and NO production were significantly inhibited by the addition of N(G)-methyl-L-arginine (NMA), a specific inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase. The synergistic cytotoxicity was associated with extensive internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. NMA also inhibited this process. These data demonstrate the involvement of endogenous NO in cytokine-induced apoptosis of transformed cells.

Performance and fouling characteristics of a submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor for kraft evaporator condensate treatment

Submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor (SAnMBR) technology was studied for kraft evaporator condensate treatment at 37 +/- 1 degrees C over a period of 9 months. Under tested organic loading rates of 1-24 kg COD/m3/day, a chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of 93-99% was achieved with a methane production rate of 0.35 +/- 0.05 L methane/g COD removed and a methane content of 80-90% in produced biogas. Bubbling of recycled biogas was effective for in-situ membrane cleaning, depending on the biogas sparging rate used. The membrane critical flux increased and the membrane fouling rate decreased with an increase in the biogas sparging rate. The scanning electron microscopy images showed membrane pore clogging was not significant and sludge cake formation on the membrane surface was the dominant mechanism of membrane fouling. The results suggest that the SAnMBR is a promising technology for energy recovery from kraft evaporator condensate.

Treatment of kraft evaporator condensate using a thermophilic submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor

The feasibility of using a thermophilic submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor (SAnMBR) for kraft evaporator condensate treatment was studied at 55+/-1 degrees C over 6.5 months. Under tested organic loading rate of 1-7 kg COD/m(3) day, a soluble COD removal efficiency of 85-97% was obtained. The methane production rate was 0.35+/-0.1 L methane/g COD and the produced biogas was of excellent fuel quality with 80-90% methane. A higher membrane fouling rate was related to the presence of a larger portion of fine colloidal particles (1-10 mum). The thermophilic SAnMBR was sensitive to the presence of toxic compounds in feed and unexpected pH probe failure (leading to a higher pH). Feed toxic shock caused sludge deflocculation and thus deteriorated membrane performance. Operating the reactor as a conventional anaerobic reactor to waste some of the fine flocs in treated effluent during the start-up process was an effective strategy to reduce membrane fouling. The experimental results from this study indicate that treatment of kraft evaporator condensate is feasible in terms of COD removal and biogas production using thermophilic SAnMBRs but pre-treatment may be needed to remove toxic sulfur compounds and membrane fouling caused by the large portion of fine particles may be a challenge.

Sludge properties and their effects on membrane fouling in submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactors (SAnMBRs)

Two submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactors (SAnMBRs) (thermophilic vs. mesophilic) were operated for a period of 3.5 months with kraft evaporator condensate at a feed chemical oxygen demand of 10,000 mg/L. The results show that the filtration behavior of the two systems was significantly different. The filtration resistance in the thermophilic SAnMBR was about 5-10 times higher than that of the mesophilic system when operated under similar hydrodynamic conditions. Comparison of sludge properties and cake layer structure from the two systems was made to elucidate major factors governing the different filtration characteristics. There were more soluble microbial products (SMP) and biopolymer clusters (BPC) produced and a larger portion of fine flocs (<15 microm) in the thermophilic SAnMBR. Analysis of bound extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) showed that the thermophilic sludge had a higher protein/polysaccharide ratio in EPS, as compared to that in the mesophilic sludge. A series of analyses, including Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and particle size analyzer showed that the cake layer formed in the thermophilic SAnMBR contained higher levels of both organic and inorganic foulants, smaller particle sizes, and especially, a denser and more compact sludge cake structure. These results indicate that floc size, SMP, BPC, bound EPS as well as cake layer structure are the major factors governing membrane fouling in SAnMBR systems.

Fine mapping of S31, a gene responsible for hybrid embryo-sac abortion in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Partial abortion of female gametes and the resulting semi-sterility of indica x japonica inter-subspecific rice hybrids have been ascribed to an allelic interaction, which can be avoided by the use of wide compatibility varieties. To further understand the genetic mechanism of hybrid sterility, we have constructed two sets of hybrids, using as male parent either the typical japonica variety Asominori, or the wide compatibility variety 02428; and as female, a set of 66 chromosome segment substitution lines in which various chromosomal segments from the indica variety IR24 have been introduced into a common genetic background of Asominori. Spikelet semi-sterility was observed in hybrid between CSSL34 and Asominori, which is known to carry the sterility gene S31 (Zhao et al. in Euphytica 151:331-337, 2006). Cytological analysis revealed that the semi-sterility of the CSSL34 x Asominori hybrid was caused primarily by partial abortion of the embryo sac at the stage of the mitosis of the functional megaspore. A population of 1,630 progeny of the three-way cross (CSSL34 x 02428) x Asominori was developed to map S31. Based on the physical location of linked molecular markers, S31 was thereby delimited to a 54-kb region on rice chromsome 5. This fragment contains eight predicted open reading frames, four of which encode known proteins and four putative proteins. These results are relevant to the map-based cloning of S31, and the development of marker-assisted transfer of non-sterility allele inducing alleles to breeding germplasm, to allow for a more efficient exploitation of heterosis in hybrid rice.

Elevated stem cell marker CD133 mRNA in peripheral blood predicts colon cancer recurrence

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Background: CD133 is a specific stem cell marker that enriches cancer stem cells of many tumor types including colon cancer as well as circulating endothelial progenitors (CEP). CEP is vital in postnatal angiogenesis and elevated CEP is a proven favoable prognositic marker for heart disease but a potentially poor prognostic marker for cancer. We examined whether elevated CD133 mRNA expression levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) predict recurrence in colon cancer patients. Methods: We developed and validated a semi-quantitative real-time RT-PCR to quantify CD133 mRNA levels relative to GADPH mRNA. Sixty-six colon cancer patients were enrolled between February 2002 and December 2003. The protocol excluded patients with history of cardiac disease or surgery < 4 weeks from the enrollment and were followed for recurrence for a median 30 months. A central statistician performed multivariate unconditional logistics regression analysis. Results: Among the patients without recurrence, 93% had a CD133 mRNA level < 4.79, whereas 7% had a CD133 mRNA value ≥ 4.79 (p = 0.029). Among patients with a CD133 mRNA value ≥ 4.79, 85% had experienced recurrence compared to 15% of the patient who had no recurrence (p = 0.03). Elevated CD133 mRNA levels at a cut-off point ≥ 4.79 versus < 4.79 were associated with an odd ratio of 22.6 for recurrence (95% CI, 1.7–291.2; p = 0.02); in comparison, the odds ratio for recurrence was 17.2 (95% CI, 1.8–164; p = 0.01) for stage IV patients versus stage I-III patients. No other predictive variables for recurrence were identified including age, race, sex, tumor differentiation, smoking, and diabetes etc. We also observed an trend of association with elevated carcinoma embryonic antigen (CEA) levels (p = 0.03, one sided) and a decreased survival (p = 0.035, one sided) with elevated CD133 mRNA level at a cutoff point ≥ 4.79. Conclusions: Elevated CD133 mRNA levels at a cutoff ≥ 4.79 in PBMC predict colon cancer recurrence independent of stage IV disease. The current assay has certain advantages over flow cytometry for wider clinical application. CD133+ cells measured by CD133 mRNA may contain both CEP and cancer stem cells, leading to increased risks of recurrence.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Treatment with bevacizumab (BEV) upregulates expression of the transcription factor Sp1 and its downstream target genes in human carcinoid cells: Molecular basis of the synergistic antiangiogenic activity of bevacizumab and mithramycin A (MIT)

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Background: Our previous studies show that human carcinoid cells overexpress pro-angiogenic factors, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF), and transcription factor Sp1 plays a critical role in VEGF inducible and constitutive expression. However, the impact of antiangiogenic therapy on the Sp1/VEGF pathway remains unclear. Method: Groups of 10 athymic BALB/c nude mice were implanted with 1.5 million human H727 carcinoid cells. Treatment with VEGF neutralizing monoclonal antibody, BEV, MIT, or BEV + MIT was initiated once implanted tumor reached 4 mm in size. Result: Treatment with BEV, suppressed human carcinoid growth in nude mice (tumor size at week 5 1280 mm3 vs 480 mm3; p < 0.001). Gene expression analyses revealed that this treatment substantially upregulated the expression of Sp1 (7 folds) and its downstream target genes, including VEGF (5 folds) and epidermal growth factor receptor (4 folds), in tumor tissues, whereas it did not have this effect on carcinoid cells in culture. Treatment with mithramycin A, an Sp1 inhibitor, suppressed the expression of Sp1 and its downstream target genes in both cell culture and tumors growing in nude mice. Median survival of mice treated with PBS, BEV, MIT, and BEV + MIT groups were 88, 112, 121, and >160 days respectively (p < 0.001). Combined treatment with bevacizumab and mithramycin A produced synergistic tumor suppression, which was consistent with suppression of the expression of Sp1 and its downstream target genes. Conclusion: Treatment with bevacizumab may block VEGF function but activate the pathway of its expression via positive feedback. Given the fact that Sp1 is an important regulator of the expression of multiple angiogenic factors, bevacizumab-initiated upregulation of Sp1 and subsequent overexpression of its downstream target genes may affect the potential angiogenic phenotype and effectiveness of antiangiogenic strategies for human carcinoid.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Preferential inhibition of Sp1 expression in growing tumors by mithramycin-A (MIT) directly correlates with its potent antiangiogenic effects in human carcinoid xenograft model

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Background: MIT, also known as aureolic acid and plicamycin (Mithracin), is an aureolic acid-type polyketide produced by various soil bacteria of the genus Streptomyces. Previous studies have shown that MIT exhibits antitumor activity. In the present study, we examine the antiangiogenic effect of MIT and its underlying mechanisms. Methods: Cohorts of 10 athymic BALB/c nude mice were implanted with 1.5 million human H727 carcinoid cells. Mice were treated with subcutaneous or intraperitoneal 0.2 mg/kg of mithramycin twice weekly once implanted tumor reached 4 mm in size. Results: Both subcutaneous and intraperitoneal MIT significantly suppressed the growth of carcinoid cells in nude mouse models (median tumor weight in PBS, s.c., i.p. groups 790 mm3 vs 280 mm3, 480 mm3; P < 0.01). We also evaluated the Sp1 expression in growing tumors and various organs. We found that the liver expressed the highest level of Sp1 among normal organs (including liver, stomach, large intestine, and small intestine, spleen, kidney, brain and lymph node). However, Sp1 expression in the growing tumors was more than 10 times higher than that in a normal liver. Treatment with MIT reduced the Sp1 expression in the tumors, while no discernible effect on Sp1 expression in normal tissues was observed. This is the first demonstration that MIT selectively inhibited the Sp1 expression in the growing tumors. Consistent with the expression of Sp1, a substantial suppression of VEGF, PDGF, EGFR, and IGFR expression was evident. Finally, treatment with MIT reduced the microvessel formation in tumors by 80% (MVD count; P < 0.01). This antiangiogenic activity was confirmed by in vitro tubulogenesis assay and in vivo Matrigel plug assay. Conclusions: Collectively, our studies strongly indicate that MIT is a potent antiangiogenic agent and its mechanism of action involved suppression of Sp1 expression and its consequent downregulation of its downstream targets including VEGF, PDGF, EGFR, and IGFR that are key to tumor angiogenesis.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.