MRI radiomics predicts the efficacy of EGFR-TKI in EGFR-mutant non-small-cell lung cancer with brain metastasis

AIM

To develop and validate models based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiomics for predicting the efficacy of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) in EGFR-mutant non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with brain metastases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

117 EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients with brain metastases who received EGFR-TKI treatment were included in this study from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2021. Patients were randomly divided into training and validation cohorts in a ratio of 2:1. Radiomics features extracted from brain MRI were screened by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm. Logistic regression analysis and Cox proportional hazard regression analysis were used to screen clinical risk factors. Clinical (C), radiomics (R), and combined (C + R) nomograms were constructed in models predicting short-term efficacy and intracranial progression-free survival (iPFS), respectively. Calibration curves, Harrell's concordance index (C-index), and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to evaluate the performance of models.

RESULTS

Overall response rate (ORR) was 57.3% and median iPFS was 12.67 months. The C + R nomograms were more effective. In the short-term efficacy model, the C-indexes of C + R nomograms in training cohort and validation cohort were 0.860 (0.820-0.901, 95%CI) and 0.843 (0.783-0.904, 95%CI). In iPFS model, the C-indexes of C + R nomograms in training cohort and validation cohort were 0.837 (0.751-0.923, 95%CI) and 0.850 (0.763-0.937, 95%CI).

CONCLUSION

The C + R nomograms were more effective in predicting EGFR-TKI efficacy of EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients with brain metastases than single clinical or radiomics nomograms.

Evaluation of screening performance of first-trimester competing-risks prediction model for small-for-gestational age in Asian population

OBJECTIVE

To examine the external validity of the Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) competing-risks model for the prediction of small-for-gestational age (SGA) at 11-14 weeks' gestation in an Asian population.

METHODS

This was a secondary analysis of a multicenter prospective cohort study in 10 120 women with a singleton pregnancy undergoing routine assessment at 11-14 weeks' gestation. We applied the FMF competing-risks model for the first-trimester prediction of SGA, combining maternal characteristics and medical history with measurements of mean arterial pressure (MAP), uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA-PI) and serum placental growth factor (PlGF) concentration. We calculated risks for different cut-offs of birth-weight percentile (< 10th , < 5th or < 3rd percentile) and gestational age at delivery (< 37 weeks (preterm SGA) or SGA at any gestational age). Predictive performance was examined in terms of discrimination and calibration.

RESULTS

The predictive performance of the competing-risks model for SGA was similar to that reported in the original FMF study. Specifically, the combination of maternal factors with MAP, UtA-PI and PlGF yielded the best performance for the prediction of preterm SGA with birth weight < 10th percentile (SGA < 10th ) and preterm SGA with birth weight < 5th percentile (SGA < 5th ), with areas under the receiver-operating-characteristics curve (AUCs) of 0.765 (95% CI, 0.720-0.809) and 0.789 (95% CI, 0.736-0.841), respectively. Combining maternal factors with MAP and PlGF yielded the best model for predicting preterm SGA with birth weight < 3rd percentile (SGA < 3rd ) (AUC, 0.797 (95% CI, 0.744-0.850)). After excluding cases with pre-eclampsia, the combination of maternal factors with MAP, UtA-PI and PlGF yielded the best performance for the prediction of preterm SGA < 10th and preterm SGA < 5th , with AUCs of 0.743 (95% CI, 0.691-0.795) and 0.762 (95% CI, 0.700-0.824), respectively. However, the best model for predicting preterm SGA < 3rd without pre-eclampsia was the combination of maternal factors and PlGF (AUC, 0.786 (95% CI, 0.723-0.849)). The FMF competing-risks model including maternal factors, MAP, UtA-PI and PlGF achieved detection rates of 42.2%, 47.3% and 48.1%, at a fixed false-positive rate of 10%, for the prediction of preterm SGA < 10th , preterm SGA < 5th and preterm SGA < 3rd , respectively. The calibration of the model was satisfactory.

CONCLUSION

The screening performance of the FMF first-trimester competing-risks model for SGA in a large, independent cohort of Asian women is comparable with that reported in the original FMF study in a mixed European population. © 2023 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Engineered tumor microvesicles modified by SP94 peptide for arsenic trioxide targeting drug delivery in liver cancer therapy

Liver cancer is among the leading cause of cancer related death worldwide. There is growing interest in using traditional Chinese medicines such as arsenic trioxide (ATO) to treat liver cancer. ATO have attracted attention due to its wide range of anti-cancer activities. However, the current ATO formulations are associated with drawbacks such as short half-life, lack of targeting ability towards solid tumors and apparent toxic side effects. Tumor microvesicles (TMVs) has shown encouraging results for the delivery of drugs to solid tumor. In this work, we designed ATO loaded TMVs further modified by SP94 peptide as liver cancer specific ligand (ATO@SP94-TMVs). This drug delivery system utilized SP94 peptide that selectively targets liver cancer cells while TMVs increase the accumulation of ATO at tumor site and activate immune response owing to the associated antigens. ATO@SP94-TMVs exhibited high encapsulation efficiency and tumor microenvironment triggered enhanced release of ATO in vitro. Cytotoxicity and uptake studies revealed remarkable inhibition and specific targeting of H22 cells. In addition, excellent immune response was detected in vitro, enhancing anti-tumor efficacy. Furthermore, a tumor inhibition rate of about 53.23 % was observed in H22 bearing tumor model. Overall, these results confirm that ATO@SP94-TMVs can be a promising nano drug delivery system for the future liver cancer therapy and improve its clinical applications.

Origin of Energy Dissipation in the Oligomeric Fucoxanthin-Chlorophyll a/c Binding Proteins

Fucoxanthin-chlorophyll proteins (FCPs) are a family of photosynthetic light-harvesting complex (LHC) proteins found in diatoms. They efficiently capture photons and regulate their functions, ensuring diatom survival in highly fluctuating light. FCPs are present in different oligomeric states in vivo, but functional differences among these FCP oligomers are not yet fully understood. Here we characterized two types of antenna complexes (FCP-B/C dimers and FCP-A tetramers) that coexist in the marine centric diatom Chaetoceros gracilis using both time-resolved fluorescence and transient absorption spectroscopy. We found that the FCP-B/C complex did not show fluorescence quenching, whereas FCP-A was severely quenched, via an ultrafast excitation energy transfer (EET) pathway from Chl a Qy to the fucoxanthin S1/ICT state. These results highlight the functional differences between FCP dimers and tetramers and indicate that the EET pathway from Chl a to carotenoids is an energy dissipation mechanism conserved in a variety of photosynthetic organisms.

Efficacy of spesolimab for the treatment of generalized pustular psoriasis flares across pre-specified patient subgroups in the Effisayil 1 study

Effisayil 1 was a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the anti-interleukin (IL)-36 receptor monoclonal antibody, spesolimab, in patients presenting with a generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) flare. Previously published data from this study revealed that within 1 week, rapid pustular and skin clearance were observed in patients receiving spesolimab versus placebo. In this pre-specified subgroup analysis, the efficacy of spesolimab was evaluated according to patient demographic and clinical characteristics at baseline in patients receiving spesolimab (n = 35) or placebo (n = 18) on Day 1. Efficacy was by assessed by achievement of primary endpoint (Generalized Pustular Psoriasis Physician Global Assessment [GPPGA] pustulation subscore of 0 at Week 1) and key secondary endpoint (GPPGA total score of 0 or 1 at Week 1). Safety was assessed at Week 1. Spesolimab was found to be efficacious and had a consistent and favourable safety profile in patients presenting with a GPP flare, regardless of patient demographics and clinical characteristics at baseline.

[Feasibility and safety of one-stage bilateral video-assisted thoracic surgery for resection of bilateral multiple pulmonary nodules]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the feasibility and safety of one- stage bilateral video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for resection of bilateral multiple pulmonary nodules (BMPNs).

METHODS

We analyzed the clinical characteristics, pathological features, perioperative outcomes and follow-up data of 41 patients with BMPNs undergoing one-stage bilateral VATS from July, 2011 to August, 2021.

RESULTS

One-stage bilateral VATS was performed uneventfully in 40 of the patients, and conversion to open surgery occurred in 1 case. The surgical approaches included bilateral lobectomy (4.9%), lobar-sublobar resection (36.6%) and sublobar-sublobar resection (58.5%) with a mean operative time of 196.3±54.5 min, a mean blood loss of 224.6±139.5 mL, a mean thoracic drainage duration of 4.7±1.1 days and a mean hospital stay of 14±3.8 days. Pathological examination revealed bilateral primary lung cancer in 15 cases, unilateral primary lung cancer in 21 cases and bilateral benign lesions in 5 cases. A total of 112 pulmonary nodules were resected, including 67 malignant and 45 benign lesions. Postoperative complications included pulmonary infection (5 cases), respiratory failure (2 cases), asthma attack (2 cases), atrial fibrillation (2 cases), and drug-induced liver injury (1 case). No perioperative death occurred in these patients, who had a 1-year survival rate of 97.6%.

CONCLUSION

With appropriate preoperative screening and perioperative management, one-stage bilateral VATS is feasible and safe for resection of BMPNs.

Dendritic Cell-Derived Exosomes Driven Drug Co-Delivery Biomimetic Nanosystem for Effective Combination of Malignant Melanoma Immunotherapy and Gene Therapy

Purpose

Malignant melanoma (MM), the most lethal skin cancer, is highly invasive and metastatic. These qualities are related to not only genetic mutations in MM itself but also the interaction of MM cells with the immune system and microenvironment. This study aimed to construct a combined immunotherapy and gene therapy drug delivery system for the effective treatment of MM.

Methods

Mature dendritic cell (mDC) exosomes (mDexos) with immune induction functions were used as carriers. BRAF siRNA (siBRAF) with the ability to silence mutated BRAF in MM was encapsulated in mDexos by electroporation to construct a biomimetic nanosystem for the codelivery of immunotherapy and gene therapy drugs (siBRAF-mDexos) to the MM microenvironment. Then, we investigated the nanosystem's serum stability and biocompatibility, uptake efficiency in mouse melanoma cells (B16-F10 cells), cytotoxicity against B16-F10 cells and inhibitory effect on BRAF expression. Furthermore, we evaluated its antimelanoma activity and safety in vivo.

Results

SiBRAF-mDexos were nanosized. Compared to siBRAF, siBRAF-mDexos displayed significantly increased serum stability, biocompatibility, uptake efficiency in B16-F10 cells, and cytotoxicity to B16-F10 melanoma cells; they also had a significantly greater inhibitory effect on BRAF expression and induced T-lymphocyte proliferation. Moreover, compared with siBRAF, siBRAF-mDexos showed significantly enhanced anti-MM activity and a high level of safety in vivo.

Conclusion

The study suggests that the siBRAF-mDexo biomimetic drug codelivery system can be used to effectively treat MM, which provides a new strategy for combined gene therapy and immunotherapy for MM.

Weak acids produced during anaerobic respiration suppress both photosynthesis and aerobic respiration

While photosynthesis transforms sunlight energy into sugar, aerobic and anaerobic respiration (fermentation) catabolizes sugars to fuel cellular activities. These processes take place within one cell across several compartments, however it remains largely unexplored how they interact with one another. Here we report that the weak acids produced during fermentation down-regulate both photosynthesis and aerobic respiration. This effect is mechanistically explained with an "ion trapping" model, in which the lipid bilayer selectively traps protons that effectively acidify subcellular compartments with smaller buffer capacities - such as the thylakoid lumen. Physiologically, we propose that under certain conditions, e.g., dim light at dawn, tuning down the photosynthetic light reaction could mitigate the pressure on its electron transport chains, while suppression of respiration could accelerate the net oxygen evolution, thus speeding up the recovery from hypoxia. Since we show that this effect is conserved across photosynthetic phyla, these results indicate that fermentation metabolites exert widespread feedback control over photosynthesis and aerobic respiration. This likely allows algae to better cope with changing environmental conditions.

The burden of end-stage osteoarthritis in Australia: a population-based study on the incidence of total knee replacement attributable to overweight/obesity

OBJECTIVES

To determine the risk of total knee replacement (TKR) for primary osteoarthritis (OA) associated with overweight/obesity in the Australian population.

METHODS

This population-based study analyzed 191,723 cases of TKR collected by the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Registry and population data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The time-trend change in incidence of TKR relating to BMI was assessed between 2015 and 2018. The influence of obesity on the incidence of TKR in different age and gender groups was determined. The population attributable fraction (PAF) was then calculated to estimate the effect of obesity reduction on TKR incidence.

RESULTS

The greatest increase in incidence of TKR was seen in patients from obese class III. The incidence rate ratio for having a TKR for obesity class III was 28.683 at those aged 18-54 years but was 2.029 at those aged >75 years. Females in obesity class III were 1.7 times more likely to undergo TKR compared to similarly classified males. The PAFs of TKR associated with overweight or obesity was 35%, estimating 14,287 cases of TKR attributable to obesity in 2018. The proportion of TKRs could be reduced by 20% if overweight and obese population move down one category.

CONCLUSIONS

Obesity has resulted in a significant increase in the incidence of TKR in the youngest population in Australia. The impact of obesity is greatest in the young and the female population. Effective strategies to reduce the national obese population could potentially reduce 35% of the TKR, with over 10,000 cases being avoided.

P-517 Validating reference gene expression stability in human ovarian follicles, oocytes, cumulus cells, ovarian medulla, and ovarian cortex tissue

Study question

How does the expression stability of commonly used reference genes (RG) vary in different human ovarian cells and tissues?

Summary answer

The RG stability differed among human ovarian cell types and tissues, but an RG with high stability was identified for each cell and tissue type.

What is known already

The expression of RGs used to normalize RT-qPCR may vary between different tissues, cell types, and experimental conditions. Hence, selecting the most appropriate RGs is critical in any experimental design to interpret data generated by RT-qPCR with the best accuracy. Human ovarian cells are phenotypically very different and often only available in limited amounts. In several animal species RG expression stability has been validated in oocytes and other ovarian cells, however, the suitability of a single universal RG in the different human ovarian cells and tissues has not been determined.

Study design, size, duration

This is an experimental study performed at a university hospital from January 2021 to September 2021.

Participants/materials, setting, methods

The freely available NormFinder software was used to analyze the expression stability of five commonly used RGs (GAPDH, B2M, RPLP0, ACTB, and PPIA) in human oocytes (n = 160), preantral follicles (n = 160), cumulus cells (n = 13), ovarian medulla (n = 8), and ovarian cortex tissue (n = 60). Samples were collected from 29 patients (aged 28 years on average; range 14–36) undergoing unilateral oophorectomy and ovarian tissue cryopreservation for fertility preservation.

Main results and the role of chance

The Normfinder software identified ACTB as the best RG for oocytes and cumulus cells; and B2M for medulla tissue and isolated follicles. Overall, comparisons of the cycle threshold (Ct) values demonstrated a wide variation among the RGs within the same group of samples (P &lt; 0.05), especially for oocytes and preantral follicles with normalized RNA. The genes ACTB and RPLP0 showed the highest levels of expression and PPIA the lowest levels of expression in all types of samples, except for cortex tissue, where PPIA had the highest level of expression and B2M the lowest. These results infer that different results could be obtained when using different RGs for data normalization. The combination of two RGs only marginally increased stability, indicating that using a single validated RG would be sufficient when the available testing material is limited. For cultured ovarian cortex culture, GAPDH or ACTB were found to be the most stable genes depending on culture conditions.

Limitations, reasons for caution

Since human oocytes are scarce and contain a small amount of RNA, only five RGs were evaluated. Moreover, only germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes and preantral follicles (60-80 µm) were tested. Future studies may validate other genes and investigate the effect of oocyte maturation and follicle growth on RG stability.

Wider implications of the findings

Our findings highlight the importance of validating RGs for each cell type or tissue and culture condition. Hence, our results can be of use as guidance for future studies involving gene expression analyses in human ovarian cells and tissues, including oocytes and preantral follicles.

Trial registration number

Not applicable

AB0864 A nomogram model combining inflammatory factors and MRI radiomics to assess the disease activity of the patients with axSpA in a prospective study

Background

Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) disease activity score (DAS) are measuring different aspects of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), they are essential in disease activity assessment. The radiomics was on facilitating readings by clinical specialists via enhancing the medical images in which subtle data differences could be distinguished.

Objectives

If the additional information of MRI imaging can be considered as a predictor for axSpA disease activity? In this study, we sought to construct a nomogram integrating the sacroiliac joint (SIJ)- MRI radiomics features and the inflammatory biomarkers to assess disease activity and compare it with clinical disease acitivity index in axSpA patients.

Methods

203 patients data were collected prospectively and confirmed as axSpA were randomly divided into training (n = 143) and validation cohorts (n = 60). 1316 radiomics features were extracted from the 3.0T SIJ-MRI. A Nomogram model was constructed using multivariate logistic regression analysis Incorporating independent clinical factors and radiomics features score (Rad-score). The performance of clinics, Rad-score and nomogram models were evaluated by ROC analysis, calibration curve and decision curve analysis (DCA), and compared with the disease activity index(Ankylosing Spondylitis DAS (ASDAS)-C reactive protein (CRP), ASDAS-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI)) and Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC) MRI scoring system.

Results

The Rad-score allowed a good discrimination in the training (AUC, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.85-0.96) and the validation cohort (AUC, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.73-0.96). The CRP-radiomics nomogram model also showed favorable discrimination in the training (AUC, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.93-0.99) and the validation cohort (AUC, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.80-0.98), better than BASDAI(AUC, 0.58), ASDAS-CRP(AUC, 0.72), ASDAS-ESR(AUC, 0.77), ESR(AUC, 0.72), CRP(AUC, 0.77) and BASFI(AUC, 0.73), had no statistical difference with SPARCC(AUC, 0.87). Calibration curves and DCA demonstrated the nomogram fit well (p > 0.05) and was useful for activity evaluation.

Conclusion

Rad-score showed good discriminative ability to assess disease activity in axSpA. The nomogram can increase the efficacy for assessment axSpA disease activity, which might simplify clinical evaluation.

Figure 1.

Comparison of ROC curve analyses in prediction models. ROC curves of the clinical features (green curve), radiomics signature model (blue curve), and hybrid model (gold curve) of axSpA in the training cohort (A) and validation cohort (B), respectively. In addition, there are AUC of ASDAS-CRP(pink curve), ASDAS-ESR(brown curve), BASDAI(purple curve), BASFI(azure curve) and SPARCC scoring system(yellow curve) in the validation cohort (B), respectively. AUC: area under the curve; ROC: receiver operating characteristic; SPARCC: Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada; BASDAI: Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index; ASDAS: Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score; CRP: C reactive protein; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; BASFI: Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index.

References

[1]Lee KH, Choi ST, Lee GY, Ha YJ, Choi SI. Method for Diagnosing the Bone Marrow Edema of Sacroiliac Joint in Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis Using Magnetic Resonance Image Analysis Based on Deep Learning. Diagnostics (Basel). 2021;11(7).

[2]Zheng Q, Liu W, Huang Y, Gao Z, Wu Y, Wang X, et al. Predictive Value of Active Sacroiliitis in MRI for Flare Among Chinese Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis in Remission. Rheumatol Ther. 2021;8(1):411-24.

Acknowledgements

No conflict of interest

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

AB0890 Deucravacitinib, an Oral, Selective Tyrosine Kinase 2 Inhibitor, in Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis: 52-Week Efficacy Results From the Phase 3 POETYK PSO-1 and POETYK PSO-2 Trials

Background

Tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) is an intracellular kinase that mediates signaling of key cytokines (eg, interleukin [IL]-23 and Type I interferons) involved in the pathogenesis of immune-mediated diseases including plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Deucravacitinib is a novel, oral, selective, allosteric inhibitor of TYK2 that achieves high selectivity by uniquely binding to the regulatory domain of the enzyme, rather than to the more conserved active domain. Deucravacitinib showed superior efficacy compared with placebo at 16 weeks in a Phase 2 trial in patients with PsA (NCT03881059). Results from the 16-week, placebo-controlled periods of two 52-week, Phase 3 trials in psoriasis (POETYK PSO-1 and POETYK PSO-2) previously showed that deucravacitinib was significantly more efficacious than placebo and apremilast based on the coprimary endpoints of ≥75% reduction from baseline in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 75) and a static Physician’s Global Assessment (sPGA) score of 0 or 1 (clear or almost clear) at Week 16.

Objectives

To evaluate the efficacy of deucravacitinib over 52 weeks in the POETYK PSO-1 and POETYK PSO-2 trials.

Methods

POETYK PSO-1 (NCT03624127) and PSO-2 (NCT03611751) were double-blinded trials that randomised patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (body surface area involvement ≥10%, PASI ≥12, sPGA score ≥3) 2:1:1 to deucravacitinib 6 mg once daily, placebo, or apremilast 30 mg twice daily. Patients receiving placebo were switched to deucravacitinib at Week 16 in both trials. Patients randomised to deucravacitinib in PSO-1 received deucravacitinib continuously through Week 52. PSO-2 included a randomised withdrawal phase in which patients originally randomised to deucravacitinib who had achieved PASI 75 response at Week 24 were rerandomised 1:1 to placebo or deucravacitinib, whereas those who did not achieve PASI 75 response at Week 24 continued receiving deucravacitinib. The proportions of patients achieving PASI 75 and sPGA 0/1 responses were evaluated up to Week 52. Secondary efficacy endpoints evaluated over this period included PASI 90, PASI 100, percentage change from baseline in PASI, sPGA 0 (clear), change from baseline in the Psoriasis Symptoms and Signs Diary (PSSD) symptom score, and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) 0/1 (no impact on patient’s life).

Results

A total of 666 and 1020 patients were randomised in PSO-1 and PSO-2, respectively. Demographic and baseline disease characteristics were balanced across treatment groups; mean age was 46.6 years, mean disease duration was 18.6 years, 18.4% of patients had PsA, and 34.8% had previously used biologic therapy. PASI 75, PASI 90, and PASI 100 responses were maintained from Week 16 to Week 52 in PSO-1 (Figure 1). Additionally, sPGA responses were maintained during this period (sPGA 0/1: 53.6% to 52.7%; sPGA 0: 17.5% to 23.5%, respectively). Patients who switched from placebo to deucravacitinib at Week 16 demonstrated PASI 75 and sPGA 0/1 responses at Week 52 (68.3% and 53.8%, respectively) comparable to those observed in patients who received continuous deucravacitinib treatment from Day 1 (65.1% and 52.7%, respectively). In PSO-2, among deucravacitinib-treated patients who achieved PASI 75 at Week 24 and were rerandomised to continue treatment, responses were maintained at Week 52 in the majority of patients (PASI 75, 80.4% [119/148]; sPGA 0/1, 70.3% [83/118]). Results for percentage change from baseline in PASI, change from baseline in the PSSD symptom score, and DLQI 0/1 were consistent with those reported for PASI and sPGA responses.

Conclusion

Results from the Phase 3 POETYK PSO-1 and PSO-2 trials demonstrated that deucravacitinib was efficacious through 52 weeks in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Clinical responses were maintained in patients who received continuous deucravacitinib treatment and were improved in patients who switched from placebo at Week 16 to deucravacitinib treatment.

Acknowledgements

This study was sponsored by Bristol Myers Squibb. Professional medical writing assistance was provided by Julianne Hatfield, PhD at Peloton Advantage, LLC, an OPEN Health company, Parsippany, NJ, USA, and funded by Bristol Myers Squibb.

Disclosure of Interests

Richard B. Warren Consultant of: Consulting fees: AbbVie, Almirall, Amgen, Biogen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celgene, DiCE, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Leo Pharma, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, UCB, Biogen, and UNION., Grant/research support from: Research grants: AbbVie, Almirall, Amgen, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Leo Pharma, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB;, April Armstrong Grant/research support from: Grants and personal fees: AbbVie, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Leo Pharma, and Novartis; Personal fees: Boehringer Ingelheim/Parexel, Celgene, Dermavant, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, Menlo Therapeutics, Merck, Modernizing Medicine, Ortho Dermatologics, Pfizer, Regeneron, Sanofi Genzyme, Science 37, Sun Pharma, and Valeant; Grants: Dermira, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, and UCB, outside the submitted work., Melinda Gooderham Consultant of: Advisory board, principal investigator, and lecture fees: Arcutis, Galderma, Leo Pharma, Pfizer, and Regeneron; Principal investigator and consulting fees: Akros Pharma and Kyowa Kirin; Advisory board, principal investigator, lecture fees, and consulting fees: AbbVie, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Sanofi Genzyme, and Valeant; Principal investigator: Aslan, Bristol Myers Squibb, Dermavant, Dermira, GlaxoSmithKline, MedImmune, Merck, Roche Laboratories, and UCB., Bruce Strober Consultant of: Consultant (honoraria): AbbVie, Almirall, Amgen, Arcutis, Arena, Aristea, Asana, Boehringer Ingelheim, Immunic Therapeutics, Bristol Myers Squibb, Connect Biopharma, Dermavant, Eli Lilly, Equillium, Janssen, Leo Pharma, Maruho, Meiji Seika Pharma, Mindera, Novartis, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Ortho Dermatologics, Regeneron, Sanofi Genzyme, Sun Pharma, UCB, Ventyxbio, and vTv Therapeutics; Speaker: AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Janssen, and Sanofi Genzyme; Co-Scientific Director (consulting fee): CorEvitas’ Psoriasis Registry; Investigator: AbbVie, Cara, CorEvitas’ Psoriasis Registry, Dermavant, Dermira, and Novartis., Diamant Thaçi Speakers bureau: Advisory board, principal investigator, and lecture fees: AbbVie, Almirall, Amgen, Biogen Idec, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Celgene, DS Pharma, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Galderma, Janssen-Cilag, Leo Pharma, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, Roche-Posay, Samsung, Sandoz-Hexal, Sanofi, and UCB., Shinichi Imafuku Grant/research support from: Grants and personal fees: AbbVie, Eisai, Kyowa Kirin, Taiho, Maruho, Tanabe Mitsubishi, Leo Pharma, Janssen, Sun Pharma, Torii, and Yakuhin; Personal fees: Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Daiichi Sankyo, Eli Lilly, Novartis, and UCB., Howard Sofen Consultant of: Clinical Investigator: AbbVie, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Leo Pharma, Novartis, and Sun Pharma., Lynda Spelman Consultant of: Consultant, paid investigator, and/or speaker: AbbVie, Amgen, Anacor, Ascend, Astellas, AstraZeneca, Blaze Bioscience, Boehringer Ingelheim, Botanix, Bristol Myers Squibb, Celgene, Dermira, Eli Lilly, Galderma, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, Hexima, Janssen, Leo Pharma, Mayne, Medimmune, Merck, Merck-Serono, Novartis, Otsuka, Pfizer, Phosphagenics, Photon MD, Regeneron, Roche, Samumed, Sanofi Genzyme, SHR, Sun Pharma, Trius, UCB, and Zai Lab., Neil J Korman Speakers bureau: Advisory board, consulting fees: AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Leo Pharma, Novartis, Principia, Regeneron, Sanofi Genzyme, Sun Pharma, and UCB; Speaker: AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Regeneron, and Sanofi Genzyme., Consultant of: AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Leo Pharma, Novartis, Principia, Regeneron, Sanofi Genzyme, Sun Pharma, and UCB, Grant/research support from: Grant support/principal investigator: AbbVie, Amgen, Argenx, Bristol Myers Squibb, Celgene, Chemocentryx, Eli Lilly, Galderma, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Leo Pharma, Menlo, Principia, Prothena, Rhizen, Syntimmune, Trevi, and Xbiotech., Min Zheng Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly China, Leo Pharma China, Novartis China, Pfizer, Sanofi China, and Xian-Janssen., Consultant of: AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly China, Leo Pharma China, Novartis China, Pfizer, Sanofi China, and Xian-Janssen., Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly China, Leo Pharma China, Novartis China, Pfizer, Sanofi China, and Xian-Janssen., Elizabeth Colston Shareholder of: Bristol Myers Squibb, Employee of: Bristol Myers Squibb, John Throup Shareholder of: Bristol Myers Squibb, Employee of: Bristol Myers Squibb, Sudeep Kundu Shareholder of: Bristol Myers Squibb, Employee of: Bristol Myers Squibb, Renata Kisa Shareholder of: Bristol Myers Squibb, Employee of: Bristol Myers Squibb, Subhashis Banerjee Shareholder of: Employees and shareholders: Bristol Myers Squibb, Employee of: Employees and shareholders: Bristol Myers Squibb, Andrew Blauvelt Consultant of: Scientific advisor and/or clinical study investigator: AbbVie, Abcentra, Aligos, Almirall, Amgen, Arcutis, Arena, Aslan, Athenex, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Dermavant, EcoR1, Eli Lilly, Evommune, Forte, Galderma, Incyte, Janssen, Landos, Leo Pharma, Novartis, Pfizer, Rapt, Regeneron, Sanofi Genzyme, Sun Pharma, UCB, and Vibliome. 

POS0962 CAN RADIOMICS REPLACE SPARCC SCORING SYSTEM IN EVALUATING BONE MARROW OEDEMA OF THE SACROILIAC JOINTS IN AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS?

Background

Bone marrow oedema (BMO) of the sacroiliac joints (SIJs) is evaluated to diagnose, classify and monitor disease activity in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). Available quantitative methodologies rely on human visual assessment, and errors can’t be completely avoided. Radiomics can extract and select discriminative and quantified features from regions of interest (ROIs), making a more accurate and objective description of BMO.

Objectives

To develop a more objective and efficient method based on radiomics to evaluate BMO of the SIJs by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with axSpA in comparison with Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC) scoring system.

Methods

From September 2013 to July 2021, 523 patients with axSpA underwent 3.0T SIJ-MRI were included, who were randomly classified as training cohort(n=367) and validation cohort(n=156). The optimal radiomics features, selected from the 3.0T SIJ-MRI in the training cohort, were included to build the radiomics model. Four clinical risk predictors were adopted to build the clinical model. The performance of the clinical and radiomics models was evaluated by ROC analysis and decision curve analysis (DCA). Rad-scores were calculated by the radiomics model and SPARCC scores were performed to quantify the BMO of SIJs. We also assessed the correlation between Rad-score and SPARCC score.

Results

The radiomics model, built by 15 optimal features, showed favorable discrimination about SPARCC score <2 or ≥2 both in the training (AUC, 0.91; 95% CI: 0.88-0.94) and the validation cohort (AUC, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.84-0.94). DCA confirmed that the radiomics model was clinically useful. Furthermore, Rad-score has significant correlation with SPARCC score for scoring the status of BMO (rs=0.78, P< 0.001), and moderation correlation for scoring the change (r=0.40, P=0.005).

Conclusion

The radiomics can accurately assess the BMO of the SIJs in axSpA, providing an alternative to SPARCC scoring system. There was a positive correlation between Rad-score and SPARCC score.

References

[1]van der Heijde D, Sieper J, Maksymowych WP, Lambert RG, Chen S, Hojnik M, et al. Clinical and MRI remission in patients with nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis who received long-term open-label adalimumab treatment: 3-year results of the ABILITY-1 trial. Arthritis Res Ther. 2018;20(1):61.

[2]Landewé RB, Hermann KG, van der Heijde DM, Baraliakos X, Jurik AG, Lambert RG, et al. Scoring sacroiliac joints by magnetic resonance imaging. A multiple-reader reliability experiment. The Journal of rheumatology. 2005;32(10):2050-5.

[3]Cereser L, Zabotti A, Zancan G, Quartuccio L, Cicciò C, Giovannini I, et al. Magnetic resonance imaging assessment of ASAS-defined active sacroiliitis in patients with inflammatory back pain and suspected axial spondyloarthritis: a study of reliability. Clinical and experimental rheumatology. 2021.

[4]Maksymowych WP, Inman RD, Salonen D, Dhillon SS, Williams M, Stone M, et al. Spondyloarthritis research Consortium of Canada magnetic resonance imaging index for assessment of sacroiliac joint inflammation in ankylosing spondylitis. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;53(5):703-9.

[5]Gillies RJ, Kinahan PE, Hricak H. Radiomics: Images Are More than Pictures, They Are Data. Radiology. 2016;278(2):563-77.

Table 1.

Rad-scores corresponding to different SPARCC score intervals about the status of SIJ-BMO.

SPARCC scorenRad-scoreMean(sd)Median (iqr)Range0-1170-1.31(1.64)-1.39(2.16)-6.46, 2.352-61250.73(1.86)0.62(2.12)-3.08, 8.487-11552.25(1.80)2.36(1.79)-1.17, 8.3612-16432.65(2.14)2.66(3.21)-0.76, 7.3917-21383.31(2.05)3.25(2.88)-0.88, 7.5522-26263.08(1.55)3.38(2.12)-1.00, 5.3827-31253.77(1.36)3.77(1.59)0.40, 6.27>31414.10(1.51)4.32(2.28)1.00, 6.96

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

Inhibition of Aspergillus flavus growth and aflatoxin B1 production by natamycin

Aspergillus flavus causes huge crop losses, reduces crop quality and has adverse effects on human and animal health. A large amount of food contaminated with aflatoxin can greatly increase the risk of liver cancer. Therefore, prevention and control of aflatoxin production have aroused attention of research in various countries. Natamycin extracted from Streptomyces spp. has been widely used in production practice due to its good specificity and safety. Here, we found that natamycin could significantly inhibit fungal growth, conidia germination, ergosterol and AFB1 production by A. flavus in a dose-dependent manner. Scanning electron microscope analysis indicated that the number of conidia was decreased, the outer wall of conidia was destroyed, and the mycelia were shrivelled and tangled by natamycin. RNA-Seq data indicated that natamycin inhibited fungal growth and conidia development of A. flavus by significantly down-regulating some genes involved in ergosterol biosynthesis, such as Erg13, HMG1 and HMG2. It inhibited conidia germination by significantly down-regulating some genes related to conidia development, such as FluG and VosA. After natamycin exposure, the decreased ratio of aflS/aflR caused by the down-regulation of all the structural genes, which subsequently resulted in the suppression of AFB1 production. In conclusion, this study served to reveal the inhibitory mechanisms of natamycin on fungal growth and AFB1 biosynthesis in A. flavus and to provide solid evidence for its application in controlling AFB1 contamination.

Predicting haemodynamic significance of coronary stenosis with radiomics-based pericoronary adipose tissue characteristics

AIM

To investigate the diagnostic performance of the radiomics features of pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT) in determining haemodynamically significant coronary artery stenosis as evaluated by fractional flow reserve (FFR).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 92 patients with clinically suspected coronary artery disease who underwent coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography (CCTA), invasive coronary angiography (ICA), and FFR examination within 1 month were included retrospectively, and 121 lesions were randomly assigned to the training and testing set. Based on manual segmentation of PCAT, 1,116 radiomics features were computed. After radiomics robustness assessment and feature selection, radiomics models were established using the different machine-learning algorithms. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) and net reclassification index (NRI) were analysed to compare the discrimination and reclassification abilities of radiomics models.

RESULTS

Two radiomics features were selected after exclusions, and both were significantly higher in coronary arteries with FFR ≤0.8 than those with FFR >0.8. ROC analysis showed that the combination of CCTA and decision tree radiomics model achieved significantly higher diagnostic performance (AUC: 0.812) than CCTA alone (AUC: 0.599, p=0.015). Furthermore, the NRI of the combined model was 0.820 and 0.775 in the training and testing sets, respectively, suggesting the radiomics features of PCAT had were effective in classifying the haemodynamic significance of coronary stenosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Adding PCAT radiomics features to CCTA enabled identification of haemodynamically significant coronary artery stenosis.

Recent Developments in Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for Tumor Theranostic Applications

Due to the advantages of adjustable pore size, easy surface modification, high biocompatibility, and so on, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have attracted lots of attention. And they are widely used in the fields of biology and medicine research, mostly focusing on drug and gene delivery and bioimaging. This review introduces several commonly used synthetic methods of MSNs and the latest progress of MSNs in tumor therapy and diagnosis, mainly including the study about modified MSNs as drug carriers and the application of MSNs in bioimaging. The deficiencies of MSNs' application and prospects for its future clinical transformation are also discussed.

Clinical progress and advanced research of red blood cells based drug delivery system

Red blood cells (RBCs) are biocompatible carriers that can be employed to deliver different bioactive substances. In the past few decades, many strategies have been developed to encapsulate or attach drugs to RBCs. Osmotic-based encapsulation methods have been industrialized recently, and some encapsulated RBC formulations have reached the clinical stage for treating tumors and neurological diseases. Inspired by the intrinsic properties of intact RBCs, some advanced delivery strategies have also been proposed. These delivery systems combine RBCs with other novel systems to further exploit and expand the application of RBCs. This review summarizes the clinical progress of drugs encapsulated into intact RBCs, focusing on the loading and clinical trials. It also introduces the latest advanced research based on developing prospects and limitations of intact RBCs drug delivery system (DDS), hoping to provide a reference for related research fields and further application potential of intact RBCs based drug delivery system.

Untargeted proteomics reveals upregulation of stress response pathways during CHO-based monoclonal antibody manufacturing process leading to disulfide bond reduction

Monoclonal antibody (mAb) interchain disulfide bond reduction can cause a loss of function and negatively impact the therapeutic’s efficacy and safety. Disulfide bond reduction has been observed at various stages during the manufacturing process, including processing of the harvested material. The factors and mechanisms driving this phenomenon are not fully understood. In this study, we examined the host cell proteome as a potential factor affecting the susceptibility of a mAb to disulfide bond reduction in the harvested cell culture fluid (HCCF). We used untargeted liquid-chromatography-mass spectrometry-based proteomics experiments in conjunction with a semi-automated protein identification workflow to systematically compare Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell protein abundances between bioreactor conditions that result in reduction-susceptible and reduction-free HCCF. Although the growth profiles and antibody titers of these two bioreactor conditions were indistinguishable, we observed broad differences in host cell protein (HCP) expression. We found significant differences in the abundance of glycolytic enzymes, key protein reductases, and antioxidant defense enzymes. Multivariate analysis of the proteomics data determined that upregulation of stress-inducible endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and other chaperone proteins is a discriminatory characteristic of reduction-susceptible HCP profiles. Overall, these results suggest that stress response pathways activated during bioreactor culture increase the reduction-susceptibility of HCCF. Consequently, these pathways could be valuable targets for optimizing culture conditions to improve protein quality.

Genome- and community-level interaction insights into the ecological role of archaea in rare earth element mine drainage in South China

Microbial communities play crucial roles in mine drainage generation and remediation. Despite the wide distribution of archaea in the mine ecosystem, their diversity and ecological roles remain less understood than bacteria. Here, we retrieved 56 archaeal metagenome-assembled genomes from a river impacted by rare earth element (REE) mining activities in South China. Genomic analysis showed that archaea represented four distinct lineages, including phyla of Thaumarchaeota, Micrarchaeota, Nanoarchaeota and Thermoplasmata. These archaea represented a considerable fraction (up to 40%) of the total prokaryote community, which might contribute to nitrogen and sulfur cycling in the REE mine drainage. Reconstructed metabolic potential among diverse archaea taxa revealed that archaea were involved in the network of ammonia oxidation, denitrification, sulfate redox reaction, and required substrates supplied by other community members. As the dominant driver of ammonia oxidation, Thaumarchaeota might provide substrates to support the survival of two nano-sized archaea belonging to Micrarchaeota and Nanoarchaeota. Despite the absence of biosynthesis pathways for amino acids and nucleotides, the potential capacity for nitrite reduction (nirD) was observed in Micrarchaeota, indicating that these nano-sized archaea encompassed diverse metabolisms. Moreover, Thermoplasmata, as keystone taxa in community, might be the main genetic donor for the other three archaeal phyla, transferring many environmental resistance related genes (e.g., V/A-type ATPase and Vitamin B12-transporting ATPase). The genetic interactions within archaeal community through horizontal gene transfer might be the key to the formation of archaeal resistance and functional partitioning. This study provides putative metabolic and genetic insights into the diverse archaea taxa from community-level perspectives, and highlights the ecological roles of archaea in REE contaminated aquatic environment.

A Thermostable Aluminum-Tolerant Protease Produced by Feather-Degrading Bacillus thuringiensis Isolated from Tea Plantation

BACKGROUND

Proteases with keratinolytic activity are widely used in biotechnologies. The feather-degrading Bacillus thuringensis isolated from soil sample of a tea plantation produced high level of extracellular keratinase.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to analyze the properties by biochemical and enzymological methods to gain information for better utilization of the enzyme.

METHODS

The enzyme was purified with ion exchange and size exclusion chromatography. The substrate preference, optimal pH and temperature, and the effects of organic solvents and ions were checked. Circular dichroism was performed to compare the secondary structures of the native and apo-enzyme.

RESULTS

The enzyme worked best at 50°C, and it was an acidic serine protease with an optimal pH of 6.2. Ions Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ were essential for its activity. Organic solvents and other metal ions generally deactivated the enzyme in a concentration-dependent manner. However, Mn²⁺ and DMSO, which were frequently reported as inhibitors of protease, could activate the enzyme at low concentration (0.01 to 2 mmol/L of Mn²⁺; DMSO <2%, v/v). The enzyme exhibited high resistance to Al³⁺, which might be explained by the soil properties of its host's residence. Circular dichroism confirmed the contribution of ions to the structure and activity.

CONCLUSION

The enzyme was a thermostable aluminum-tolerant serine protease with unique biochemical properties.

Indicator species drive the key ecological functions of microbiota in a river impacted by acid mine drainage generated by rare earth elements mining in South China

Acid mine drainage (AMD) generated by rare earth elements (REEs) deposits exploration contains high concentrations of REEs, ammonium and sulfates, which is quite different from typical metallic AMD. Currently, microbial responses and ecological functions in REEs-AMD impacted rivers are unknown. Here, 16S rRNA analysis and genome-resolved metagenomics were performed on microbial community collected from a REEs-AMD contaminated river. The results showed that REEs-AMD significantly changed river microbial diversity and shaped unique indicator species (e.g. Thaumarchaeota, Methylophilales, Rhodospirillales and Burkholderiales). The main environmental factors regulating community were pH, ammonium and REEs, among which high concentration of REEs increased REEs-dependent enzyme-encoding genes (XoxF and ExaF/PedH). Additionally, we reconstructed 566 metagenome-assembled genomes covering 70.4% of identifying indicators. Genome-centric analysis revealed that the abundant archaea Thaumarchaeota and Xanthomonadaceae were often involved in nitrification and denitrification, while family Burkholderiaceae were capable of sulfide oxidation coupled with dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium. These indicators play crucial roles in nitrogen and sulfur cycling as well as REEs immobilization in REEs-AMD contaminated rivers. This study confirmed the potential dual effect of REEs on microbial community at the functional gene level. Our investigation on the ecological roles of indicators further provided new insights for the development of REEs-AMD bioremediation.

[Analysis on prediction power of HIV infection risk assessment tool in men who have sex with men in Guizhou province]

Objective: To evaluate the prediction power of HIV infection risk assessment tool and the applicability in MSM in Guizhou province. Methods: MSM were recruited through snowball sampling method. Questionnaire surveys were conducted among the MSM using HIV infection risk assessment tool, and combined with HIV serologic test results, the risk prediction power of HIV infection risk assessment tool was evaluated. Results: A total of 3 379 MSM were recruited from January 2018 to December 2019 in Guizhou. The HIV infection rate was 3.3%(111/3 379). The mean risk scores of HIV positive and HIV negative MSM were (12.15±3.08) and (12.07±3.07), respectively. The difference in risk score was significant between MSM with different HIV status (t=8.69, P<0.001). According to the principle of decision tree, individual risk scores were divided into following three categories: ≤11.96, 11.97-14.80 and >14.80, the HIV infection rate was 0.8%, 4.3% and 8.6% respectively, suggesting that the higher the individual risk score was, the higher the HIV infection rate was (trend χ²=88.18, P<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the higher the individual risk score was, the higher the risk of HIV infection was. Compared to the total score ≤11.96, the aOR values at total scores of 11.97-14.80 and >14.80 were 6.34 (95%CI: 3.38-11.88) and 14.07(95%CI: 7.44-26.61), respectively. The risk of HIV infection in Miao ethnic group was higher than that in Han ethnic group (aOR=1.83, 95%CI:1.04-3.21), and the risk of HIV infection in those with education level of primary school and below was higher than that in undergraduates or those with education level of junior college and above (aOR=2.50, 95%CI:1.06-5.88), and the risk of HIV infection was higher in those who had bisexual behaviors than in those who had homosexual behaviors (aOR=1.95, 95%CI:1.19-3.19). The risk of HIV infection was higher in those who had never received HIV testing (aOR=1.53, 95%CI:1.01-2.33). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under ROC (AUC) for HIV infection prediction was 0.751 (95%CI:0.710-0.792, P<0.001). The maximum Youden's index was individual risk score of 12.56, and the sensitivity of the risk assessment tool was 0.838, and its specificity was 0.412. Conclusions: The results of HIV infection risk assessment tool in Guizhou indicated that in MSM the higher the individual risk score, the higher the risk of HIV infection is. The tool can be used to evaluate the risk of HIV infection in MSM, but the specificity should be improved.

MiR-503 Contributes to Glucocorticoid Sensitivity in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia via Targeting WNT3A

Abnormal accumulation of lymphoblasts in the blood and bone marrow is the main characteristic of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Glucocorticoids are effective drugs for ALL, while glucocorticoid resistance is an obstacle to ALL therapy. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are implicated in the drug resistance and modulate the response of ALL to glucocorticoids. The role of miR-503 in glucocorticoid sensitivity of ALL was investigated in this study. Firstly, T-leukaemic cells were isolated from patients with ALL. The human ALL cell line (CCRF/CEM) was incubated with dexamethasone to establish a glucocorticoid- resistant ALL cell line (CCRF/CEM-R). Data from MTT showed that IC⁵⁰ (50% inhibitory concentration) of dexamethasone in T-leukaemic cells isolated from glucocorticoid-resistant ALL patients or CCRF/CEM-R was increased compared with IC50 in T-leukaemic cells isolated from glucocorticoid- sensitive ALL patients or CCRF/CEM. MiR- 503 was down-regulated in glucocorticoid-resistant leukaemic cells and CCRF/CEM-R. Secondly, overexpression of miR-503 sensitized CCRF/CEM-R to dexamethasone. Moreover, over-expression of miR- 503 also promoted the sensitivity of ALL cells to dexamethasone. Thirdly, miR-503 bound to WNT3A mRNA and negatively regulated the expression of WNT3A. Over-expression of miR-503 reduced protein expression of nuclear β-catenin, and over-expression of WNT3A attenuated the miR-503 overexpression- induced decrease in nuclear β-catenin. Lastly, the over-expression of miR-503-induced increased sensitivity of ALL-resistant cells and CCRF/ CEM-R to dexamethasone was attenuated by overexpression of WNT3A. In conclusion, miR-503 targeted WNT3A mRNA to sensitize ALL cells to glucocorticoids through inactivation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Quantitative material analysis using secondary electron energy spectromicroscopy

This paper demonstrates how secondary electron energy spectroscopy (SEES) performed inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM) can be used to map sample atomic number and acquire bulk valence band density of states (DOS) information at low primary beam voltages. The technique uses an electron energy analyser attachment to detect small changes in the shape of the scattered secondary electron (SE) spectrum and extract out fine structure features from it. Close agreement between experimental and theoretical bulk valance band DOS distributions was obtained for six different test samples, where the normalised root mean square deviation ranged from 2.7 to 6.7%. High accuracy levels of this kind do not appear to have been reported before. The results presented in this paper point towards SEES becoming a quantitative material analysis companion tool for low voltage scanning electron microscopy (LVSEM) and providing new applications for Scanning Auger Microscopy (SAM) instruments.

[A survey on sexual needs and factors of HIV risky sexual behaviors among elderly men at different ages in two communities of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture]

Objective: To understand sexual needs and factors of risky sexual behaviors among elderly men at different ages in two communities of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture and provide basis for targeted HIV prevention and intervention. Methods: Two communities in the prefecture were selected as study sites. Questionnaire surveys were carried out among elderly men aged 50 and over who visited or consulted in the communities from June to December 2018, and they were tested for HIV and syphilis antibodies. Results: Among 400 elderly men, 209 (52.2%) were 50-64 years old, and 191(47.8%) were above 65 years old. They were mainly Miao people, accounting for 66.3% (265/400), and 235 (58.8%) had an education no more than 6 years. HIV awareness of the two age groups were only 25.8% (54/199) and 26.2% (50/191), respectively. Among those aged 50-64, 142 (68.0%) felt normal sexual desire, and 153 (73.6%) reported penile erections or erections in most cases whenever sex, and 52.9% (110) ejaculated most of the time. HIV prevalence was 1.0% (4/400). Compared with the over 65-year-old group, the proportion of having sex with spouse/stable partners (89.5%, 179/200), proportion of no condom use with their spouse/stable sexual partners during the most recent sex (93.8%, 168/179), proportion of having casual sex (11.0%, 23/209) and commercial sex (3.8%, 8/209) were all higher among 50-64 age group. In comparison to those aged over 65 years old, average monthly income>3 000, and use of sex helper, aged 50-64 (OR=2.70, 95%CI: 1.22-5.95), average monthly income ≤1 000 yuan (OR=2.79, 95%CI: 1.25-6.21), and no use of sex helper (OR=3.78) (95%CI: 1.65-8.67) were related factors of HIV risky sexual behavior last time. Conclusion: Elderly men in the minority prefecture had low HIV awareness. Compared with those≥65 years old, the 50-64 age group had more active sexual behaviors and higher sexual needs. Those from 50-64 age group, with lower economic level and good sexual ability were more likely to have HIV risky sexual behaviors.

First-trimester pre-eclampsia biomarker profiles in Asian population: multicenter cohort study

OBJECTIVES

To (i) evaluate the applicability of the European-derived biomarker multiples of the median (MoM) formulae for risk assessment of preterm pre-eclampsia (PE) in seven Asian populations, spanning the east, southeast and south regions of the continent, (ii) perform quality-assurance (QA) assessment of the biomarker measurements and (iii) establish criteria for prospective ongoing QA assessment of biomarker measurements.

METHODS

This was a prospective, non-intervention, multicenter study in 4023 singleton pregnancies, at 11 to 13 + 6 weeks' gestation, in 11 recruiting centers in China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. Women were screened for preterm PE between December 2016 and June 2018 and gave written informed consent to participate in the study. Maternal and pregnancy characteristics were recorded and mean arterial pressure (MAP), mean uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA-PI) and maternal serum placental growth factor (PlGF) were measured in accordance with The Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) standardized measurement protocols. MAP, UtA-PI and PlGF were transformed into MoMs using the published FMF formulae, derived from a largely Caucasian population in Europe, which adjust for gestational age and covariates that affect directly the biomarker levels. Variations in biomarker MoM values and their dispersion (SD) and cumulative sum tests over time were evaluated in order to identify systematic deviations in biomarker measurements from the expected distributions.

RESULTS

In the total screened population, the median (95% CI) MoM values of MAP, UtA-PI and PlGF were 0.961 (0.956-0.965), 1.018 (0.996-1.030) and 0.891 (0.861-0.909), respectively. Women in this largely Asian cohort had approximately 4% and 11% lower MAP and PlGF MoM levels, respectively, compared with those expected from normal median formulae, based on a largely Caucasian population, whilst UtA-PI MoM values were similar. UtA-PI and PlGF MoMs were beyond the 0.4 to 2.5 MoM range (truncation limits) in 16 (0.4%) and 256 (6.4%) pregnancies, respectively. QA assessment tools indicated that women in all centers had consistently lower MAP MoM values than expected, but were within 10% of the expected value. UtA-PI MoM values were within 10% of the expected value at all sites except one. Most PlGF MoM values were systematically 10% lower than the expected value, except for those derived from a South Asian population, which were 37% higher.

CONCLUSIONS

Owing to the anthropometric differences in Asian compared with Caucasian women, significant differences in biomarker MoM values for PE screening, particularly MAP and PlGF MoMs, were noted in Asian populations compared with the expected values based on European-derived formulae. If reliable and consistent patient-specific risks for preterm PE are to be reported, adjustment for additional factors or development of Asian-specific formulae for the calculation of biomarker MoMs is required. We have also demonstrated the importance and need for regular quality assessment of biomarker values. Copyright © 2019 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Incorporation of nonstandard amino acids into proteins: principles and applications

The cellular ribosome shows a naturally evolved strong preference for the synthesis of proteins with standard amino acids. An in-depth understanding of the translation process enables scientists to go beyond this natural limitation and engineer translating systems capable of synthesizing proteins with artificially designed and synthesized non-standard amino acids (nsAA) featuring more bulky sidechains. The sidechains can be functional groups, with chosen biophysical or chemical activities, that enable the direct application of these proteins. Alternatively, the sidechains can be designed to contain highly reactive groups: enabling the ready formation of conjugates via a covalent bond between the sidechain and other chemicals or biomolecules. This co-translational incorporation of nsAAs into proteins allows for a vast number of possible applications. In this paper, we first systematically summarized the advances in the engineering of the translation system. Subsequently, we reviewed the extensive applications of these nsAA-containing proteins (after chemical modification) by discussing representative reports on how they can be utilized for different purposes. Finally, we discussed the direction of further studies which could be undertaken to improve the current technology utilized in incorporating nsAAs in order to use them to their full potential and improve accessibility across disciplines.

Detecting Protein-Protein Interaction Based on Protein Fragment Complementation Assay

Proteins are the most critical executive molecules by responding to the instructions stored in the genetic materials in any form of life. More frequently, proteins do their jobs by acting as a roleplayer that interacts with other protein(s), which is more evident when the function of a protein is examined in the real context of a cell. Identifying the interactions between (or amongst) proteins is very crucial for the biochemistry investigation of an individual protein and for the attempts aiming to draw a holo-picture for the interacting members at the scale of proteomics (or protein-protein interactions mapping). Here, we introduced the currently available reporting systems that can be used to probe the interaction between candidate protein pairs based on the fragment complementation of some particular proteins. Emphasis was put on the principles and details of experimental design. These systems are dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), β-lactamase, tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease, luciferase, β- galactosidase, GAL4, horseradish peroxidase (HRP), focal adhesion kinase (FAK), green fluorescent protein (GFP), and ubiquitin.