CARD14 alterations in Tunisian patients with psoriasis and further characterization in European cohorts

BACKGROUND

Rare highly penetrant gain-of-function mutations in caspase recruitment domain family, member 14 (CARD14) can lead to psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin and other organs.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the contribution of rare CARD14 variants to psoriasis in the Tunisian population and to expand knowledge of CARD14 variants in the European population.

METHODS

CARD14 coding exons were resequenced in patients with psoriasis and controls from Tunisia and Europe, including 16 European cases with generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP). Novel variants were evaluated for their effect on nuclear factor (NF)-κB signalling.

RESULTS

Rare variants in CARD14 were significantly enriched in Tunisian cases compared with controls. Three were collectively found in 5% of Tunisian cases, and all affected the N-terminal region of the protein harbouring its caspase recruitment domain or coiled-coil domain. These variants were c.349G>A (p.Gly117Ser), c.205C>T (p.Arg69Trp) and c.589G>A (p.Glu197Lys). c.589G>A (p.Glu197Lys) led to upregulation of NF-κB activity in a similar manner to that of previously described psoriasis-associated mutations. p.Arg69Trp led to sevenfold downregulation of NF-κB activity. One Tunisian case harboured a c.1356+5G>A splice alteration that is predicted to lead to loss of exon 9, which encodes part of the coiled-coil domain. No cases of GPP harboured an interleukin-36RN mutation, but one of 16 cases of GPP with a family history of psoriasis vulgaris harboured a c.1805C>T (p.Ser602Leu) mutation in CARD14.

CONCLUSIONS

These observations provide further insights into the genetic basis of psoriasis in the Tunisian population and provide functional information on novel CARD14 variants seen in cases from Tunisia and other populations.

A phase II study of TRC105 in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who have progressed on sorafenib

BACKGROUND

Endoglin is an endothelial cell membrane receptor essential for angiogenesis and highly expressed on the vasculature of many tumor types, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). TRC105 is a chimeric IgG1 anti-CD105 monoclonal antibody that inhibits angiogenesis and tumor growth by endothelial cell growth inhibition, ADCC and apoptosis, and complements VEGF inhibitors.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this phase II study was to evaluate the efficacy of anti-endoglin therapy with TRC105 in patients with advanced HCC, post-sorafenib.

METHODS

Patients with HCC and compensated liver function (Childs-Pugh A/B7), ECOG 0/1, were enrolled to a single-arm, phase II study of TRC105 15 mg/kg IV every two weeks. Patients must have progressed on or been intolerant of prior sorafenib. A Simon optimal two-stage design was employed with a 50% four-month PFS target for progression to the second stage. Correlative biomarkers evaluated included DCE-MRI as well as plasma levels of angiogenic biomarkers and soluble CD105.

RESULTS

A total accrual of 27 patients was planned. However, because of lack of efficacy and in accordance with the Simon two-stage design, 11 patients were enrolled. There were no grade 3/4 treatment-related toxicities. Most frequent toxicities were headache (G2; N = 3) and epistaxis (G1; N = 4). One patient had a confirmed partial response by standard RECIST criteria and biologic response on DCE-MRI but the four-month PFS was insufficient to proceed to the second stage of the study.

CONCLUSIONS

TRC105 was well tolerated in this HCC population following sorafenib. Although there was evidence of clinical activity, this did not meet prespecified criteria to proceed to the second stage. TRC105 development in HCC continues as combination therapy with sorafenib.

CTL- vs Treg lymphocyte-attracting chemokines, CCL4 and CCL20, are strong reciprocal predictive markers for survival of patients with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Tumoural infiltration of T lymphocytes is determined by local patterns of specific chemokine expression. In this report, we examined the roles of CCL4 and CCL20 in the accumulation of CD8(+) cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and regulatory T (Treg) lymphocytes in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), and determined the correlations between chemokine expressions and ESCC patients' survival.

METHODS

Reverse transcriptase-PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining were performed to examine the expressions of interested genes. Flow cytometry was adopted to check the expressions of CCL4- and CCL6-specific receptors, CCR5 and CCR6, on CTLs and Treg cells. In addition, transwell assay was carried on.

RESULTS

The CCL4 expression was significantly correlated with the expression of CTL markers (CD8 and Granzyme B), whereas CCL20 was positively correlated with Treg markers (FoxP3 and IL-10). Consistently, CCR5 was found to be mainly expressed on CD8(+) T lymphocytes, while CCR6 showed prevalence on Treg lymphocytes and the frequencies of CCR5(+)CD8(+) CTLs and CCR6(+) Treg cells were higher in TIL compared with PBMC. Respectively, CCL4 and CCL20 recruited CD8(+) and regulatory T cells in vitro. Importantly, high levels of CCL4 in the lesions of ESCC patients predicted prolonged survival. Furthermore, CCL4(high)/CCL20(low) group demonstrated better overall survival, whereas CCL4(low)/CCL20(low) and CCL4(low)/CCL20(high) groups showed the worst overall survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data showed that CCL4 and CCL20 recruit functionally different T lymphocyte subsets into oesophageal carcinoma, indicating CCL4 and CCL20 are potential predictors of ESCC patients' survival.

Application of vacuum-assisted closure in seawater-immersed wound treatment under different negative pressures

The therapeutic effect of vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) has been confirmed in many types of complex wounds, but there are few relevant reports regarding seawater-immersed wounds. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of VAC on seawater-immersed wound healing under different negative pressures and explore the optimal negative pressure value. Four purebred miniature pigs were used as the experimental animal models. Four acute, symmetrical wounds were made on each side of the spine and designated as the experimental group (wounds with 2 h of seawater immersion) and the control group (wounds without seawater immersion). Wounds were divided into a conventional dressing group and 3 further groups with different VAC therapies (negative pressure at either 120, 180, or 240 mmHg). The extent of wound healing, and speed of granulation growth and re-epithelialization were measured. Bacterial flora distribution in the wounds was observed, and fibronectin levels in the exudate of the wounds were tested. Results showed that seawater immersion aggravated wound injury and that VAC therapy with 180 mmHg negative pressure induced the fastest epidermis migration, obvious edema elimination, significant capillary proliferation, and the highest level of fibronectin, and that in wounds, the proportion of Gram-negative bacteria tended to decrease and that of Gram-positive bacteria tended to increase. Our results show that VAC promotes seawater-immersed wound healing and that 180 mmHg negative pressure may be optimal for wound healing.

Effects of docetaxel plus three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy on microvessel density and apoptosis expression in local advanced squamous non-small-cell lung cancer

We examined the effects of weekly single-agent docetaxel plus three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) on apoptotic index (AI) and microvessel density (MVD) in local advanced non-small-cell lung squamous cancer patients and analyzed the correlation of MVD, AI, and 50% tumor shrinkage time (T0.5) The molecular mechanism of docetaxel radiosensitization was investigated. Sixty untreated patients with stage IIIA or IIIB lung squamous cancer were enrolled and randomly divided into two groups: observation (N = 30; 3D-CRT + docetaxel + adjuvant chemotherapy) and control (N = 30; 3D-CRT + adjuvant chemotherapy). From day 1 radiotherapy, the observation group received intravenous docetaxel (36 mg/m(2)) once weekly for 6 weeks. Post-radiotherapy, chemotherapy of docetaxel combined with cisplatin lasted 4-6 cycles in both groups. Before radiotherapy and within 24 h after radiotherapy (20 Gy), bronchoscopic biopsy was performed twice at the same site. To analyze the MVD of tumor specimens with immunohistochemical staining . The AI of lung cancer cells was assessed with TUNEL assay, T0.5 values were calculated. The observation group had significantly lower MVD than the control group (P < 0.05). AI significantly increased before and after treatment in the observation group compared with the control group (P < 0.05). The decreased MVD values negatively correlated with T0.5 values (r = -0.624, P < 0.05), whereas the increased AI values did not correlate with the T0.5 values. Docetaxel radiosensitization may occur by decrease in MVD and increase in AI values. Weekly single-agent docetaxel plus 3D-CRT can improve prognosis and quality of life in local advanced non-small-cell lung squamous cancer patients.

Hydrogen sulphide induces vasoconstriction of rat coronary artery via activation of Ca(2+) influx

AIM

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) exhibits a dual modulation of isolated artery tension. This study investigated the vasoconstrictive effect of sulphur sodium hydride (NaHS), a donor of gaseous H2S, on rat coronary artery.

METHODS

The contractile response of isolated arteries was recorded using a wire myograph. Fluo-3/AM was used to load vascular smooth muscle, and intracellular calcium was determined using confocal laser microscopy. The protein expression of Rho kinase was examined using Western blot.

RESULTS

NaHS induced concentration-dependent contractions of rat coronary artery, and the contraction reached approx. 65% of 60 mm KCl-induced contraction. The NaHS-induced contraction was elevated following the removal of endothelium or the use of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-NAME. The cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin reduced NaHS-induced contraction. The Rho kinase inhibitor Y-27632 significantly attenuated NaHS-induced vasoconstriction. Furthermore, NaHS elevated the protein expression of Rho kinase. NaHS-induced contraction was completely abolished in a Ca(2+)-free solution and suppressed by the Ca(2+) influx blocker nifedipine (100 nm). NaHS also significantly increased the change rate of Ca(2+) fluorescence intensity. However, treatment with a Cl(-)/HCO(3-) exchanger blocker, K(+) channel blockers, the mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor U-0126 or cyclic adenosine monophosphate did not affect contraction. Species-dependent differences in NaHS-induced vasoconstriction were observed because these effects were only modest in dog coronary artery and absent in rabbit coronary artery.

CONCLUSIONS

NaHS induces the contraction of rat coronary artery, which is dependent on the activation of Ca(2+) influx. Rho kinase likely participates in the vasoconstriction.

A transfection method of PS-asODNs targeting ANGPTL4 in multicellular structures of hepatocarcinoma cell line

To find an efficient transfection method for metastatic cancer cells, we established a three-dimensional (3D) growth model for solid tumor cells to mimic the metastatic cancer cells in the vascular system and compared the efficiency of several transfection methods in vitro. We found that it was optimal to transfect two-dimensional cells in vitro and detach them for 3D growth 6 h later. The transfection efficiency of this method was high, and the results were reliable. This method can be used to deliver several types of small molecules into the 3D metastatic cell model. Using this method, we increased our understanding of why drugs that are effective in vitro cannot treat the disease in vivo. If this phenomenon occurs due to the resistance of the cells to the drug, other treatment agents for the disease must be identified. However, if this occurs because the agent cannot reach the cells inside the 3D aggregate, we can improve the delivery efficiency by using methods that target the agent to all cells. Briefly, the method introduced in this study will contribute to future research focusing on the 3D metastatic cell model as well as on drug development for various solid tumors.

Familial hypercholesterolaemia with tuberous and tendinous xanthomas: case report and mutation analysis

Xanthomas are important clinical manifestations of disordered lipid metabolism, which are mostly found in patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), an inherited disorder that is predominantly caused by mutations in the low-density lipoprotein receptor gene (LDLR). Tuberous and tendinous xanthomas with wide distribution and large size are rare; however, they may indicate the severity of FH, and tend to be found in homozygous FH. In this study, we investigated the clinical and genetic aspects of a young patient with FH presenting with multiple large masses in various locations. The lesions on the elbows and buttocks were locally excised and subsequently confirmed by biopsy to be xanthomas. Genetic analysis further confirmed that the patient was compound heterozygous for two mutations in both alleles of the LDLR gene. This rare case of compound heterozygous FH presenting with multiple large and widely distributed xanthomas provides a better understanding of FH and xanthomas.

HSPB1 as a novel regulator of ferroptotic cancer cell death

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of non-apoptotic cell death, but its molecular mechanism remains largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that heat shock protein beta-1 (HSPB1) is a negative regulator of ferroptotic cancer cell death. Erastin, a specific ferroptosis-inducing compound, stimulates heat shock factor 1 (HSF1)-dependent HSPB1 expression in cancer cells. Knockdown of HSF1 and HSPB1 enhances erastin-induced ferroptosis, whereas heat shock pretreatment and overexpression of HSPB1 inhibits erastin-induced ferroptosis. Protein kinase C-mediated HSPB1 phosphorylation confers protection against ferroptosis by reducing iron-mediated production of lipid reactive oxygen species. Moreover, inhibition of the HSF1-HSPB1 pathway and HSPB1 phosphorylation increases the anticancer activity of erastin in human xenograft mouse tumor models. Our findings reveal an essential role for HSPB1 in iron metabolism with important effects on ferroptosis-mediated cancer therapy.

Visceral fat area is associated with a high risk for early postoperative recurrence in Crohn's disease

AIM

Mesenteric hypertrophy has been recognized as an indicator of the complicated course of Crohn's disease. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the visceral fat area (VFA) is associated with postoperative clinical and endoscopic recurrence.

METHOD

Computed tomography was used to measure the subcutaneous fat area and VFA, and the mesenteric fat index (MFI) was defined as the ratio of the VFA to the subcutaneous fat area. Associations between body mass index, subcutaneous fat area, VFA and MFI and postoperative clinical and endoscopic recurrence were investigated.

RESULTS

The factors associated with postoperative endoscopic recurrence at 6 months after surgery were a high VFA value (P = 0.019) and MFI values above the median (P = 0.008). VFA values were significantly correlated with endoscopic recurrence (r = 0.895, P = 0.040) and endoscopic lesions (r = 0.617, P < 0.0001). Additionally, MFI values correlated well with endoscopic recurrence (r = 0.918, P = 0.02) and endoscopic scores (r = 0.584, P < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis indicated that VFA values above the median (hazard ratio 2.63, 95% CI 1.03-6.74) were predictive of postoperative clinical recurrence in Crohn's disease.

CONCLUSION

A high VFA value is associated with postoperative recurrence of Crohn's disease and has clinical implications with respect to optimizing prophylaxis for each individual. However, further studies are needed to confirm the predictive role of this biomarker in a different data set.

The determination of optimal initial tension in rat coronary artery using wire myography

The aim of the present study was to determine the optimal initial tension, i.e. initial stretch for rat coronary artery when using the multi-wire myograph system. We used the normalization procedure to mimic physiological conditions and to stretch the coronary arterial segments to normalized internal circumference (IC(1)). It is determined the internal circumference when the vessel relaxed under a transmural pressure of 100 mm Hg (IC(100)), and the IC(1) is calculated by multiplying the IC(100) by a factor k. The impact of different factor k on the initial stretch and agonist-induced tension of coronary arteries were investigated. The results showed that the maximal agonist-induced tension was achieved at the factor k value of 0.90 and the initial stretch tension was given 1.16+/-0.04 mN/mm. The most appropriate factor k value was 0.90-0.95 and the most appropriate initial tension was 1.16-1.52 mN/mm. The equilibration time of the coronary artery segments should be at least 1.0 h. In the same optimal initial tension, the agonist-induced tension increased as equilibration time lengthened.

Transcriptome comparison between inactivated and activated ovaries of the honey bee Apis mellifera L

Ovarian activity not only influences fertility, but is also involved with the regulation of division of labour between reproductive and behavioural castes of female honey bees. In order to identify candidate genes associated with ovarian activity, we compared the gene expression patterns between inactivated and activated ovaries of queens and workers by means of high-throughput RNA-sequencing technology. A total of 1615 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was detected between ovaries of virgin and mated queens, and more than 5300 DEGs were detected between inactivated and activated worker ovaries. Intersection analysis of DEGs amongst five libraries revealed that a similar set of genes (824) participated in the ovary activation of both queens and workers. A large number of these DEGs were predominantly related to cellular, cell and cell part, binding, biological regulation and metabolic processes. In addition, over 1000 DEGs were linked to more than 230 components of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways, including 25 signalling pathways. The reliability of the RNA-sequencing results was confirmed by means of quantitative real-time PCR. Our results provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in ovary activation and reproductive division of labour.

Chromosome 12p13 variants predict recurrence of ischaemic stroke in a Chinese population

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

A recent genome-wide association study identified two genetic variants (rs12425791 and rs11833579) on chromosome 12p13 that confer risk of ischaemic stroke. The purpose of this study was to examine whether these two polymorphisms are associated with stroke onset and prognosis in a Chinese population.

METHODS

rs12425791 and rs11833579 were genotyped using the improved multiple ligase detection reaction in 913 patients with ischaemic stroke. Analyses of genotype association with onset and prognosis outcomes were evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method, the log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULTS

rs12425791 and rs11833579 were not associated with age of stroke onset (P = 0.786 and 0.340, respectively). However, these two polymorphisms were significantly associated with risk of stroke recurrence, especially for the large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA) subtype, in recessive models [hazard ratio (HR) 2.52; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-6.12 for rs12425791; HR 2.13; 95% CI 1.03-4.40 for rs11833579]. The combined genotype of these two single-nucleotide polymorphisms showed a locus-dosage effect on recurrence of LAA subtype and was an independent prognostic factor for LAA subtype in the final multivariate Cox regression model.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicated that rs12425791 and rs11833579 on chromosome 12p13 may be useful biomarkers for predicting the prognosis of patients with the LAA subtype of ischaemic stroke.

Genesis of the novel human-infecting influenza A(H10N8) virus and potential genetic diversity of the virus in poultry, China

Human infection with a novel influenza A(H10N8) virus was first described in China in December 2013. However, the origin and genetic diversity of this virus is still poorly understood. We performed a phylogenetic analysis and coalescent analysis of two viruses from the first case of influenza A(H10N8) (A/Jiangxi-Donghu/346-1/2013 and A/Jiangxi-Donghu/346-2/2013 and a novel A(H10N8) virus (A/chicken/Jiangxi/102/2013) isolated from a live poultry market that the patient had visited. The haemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA), PA subunit of the virus polymerase complex, nucleoprotein (NP), M and nonstructural protein (NS) genes of the three virus strains shared the same genetic origins. The origins of their HA and NA genes were similar: originally from wild birds to ducks, and then to chickens. The PA, NP, M, and NS genes were similar to those of chicken influenza A(H9N2) viruses. Coalescent analyses showed that the reassortment of these genes from A(H9N2) to A(H10N8) might have occurred at least twice. However, the PB1 and PB2 genes of the chicken A(H10N8) virus most likely originated from H7-like viruses of ducks, while those of the viruses from the case most likely stemmed from A(H9N2) viruses circulating in chickens. The oseltamivir-resistance mutation, R292K (R291K in A(H10N8) numbering) in the NA protein, occurred after four days of oseltamivir treatment. It seems that A(H10N8) viruses might have become established among poultry and their genetic diversity might be much higher than what we have observed.

β-Catenin-regulated ALDH1A1 is a target in ovarian cancer spheroids

Cancer cells form three dimensional (3D) multicellular aggregates (or spheroids) under non-adherent culture conditions. In ovarian cancer (OC), spheroids serve as a vehicle for cancer cell dissemination in the peritoneal cavity, protecting cells from environmental stress-induced anoikis. To identify new targetable molecules in OC spheroids, we investigated gene expression profiles and networks upregulated in three dimensional (3D) versus traditional monolayer culture conditions. We identified ALDH1A1, a cancer stem cell marker as being overexpressed in OC spheroids and directly connected to key elements of the β-catenin pathway. B-catenin function and ALDH1A1 expression were increased in OC spheroids vs. monolayers and in successive spheroid generations, suggesting that 3D aggregates are enriched in cells with stem cell characteristics. B-catenin knockdown decreased ALDH1A1 expression levels and β-catenin coimmunoprecipitated with the ALDH1A1 promoter, suggesting that ALDH1A1 is a direct β-catenin target. Both siRNA mediated β-catenin knockdown and A37, a novel ALDH1A1 small molecule enzymatic inhibitor described here for the first time, disrupted OC spheroid formation and cell viability (p<0.001). B-catenin knockdown blocked tumor growth and peritoneal metastasis in an OC xenograft model. These data strongly support the role of β-catenin regulated ALDH1A1 in the maintenance of OC spheroids and propose new ALDH1A1 inhibitors targeting this cell population.

Enhanced myeloid differentiation factor 88 promotes tumor metastasis via induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in human hepatocellular carcinoma

Metastasis is the leading cause of death in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after curative resection. Therefore, it is critical to understand the mechanisms underlying tumor metastasis in HCC. We have previously shown that elevated expression of myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) may promote tumor growth and metastasis in HCC. In this study, we reported that enhanced expression of MyD88 promoted epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) properties and tumor-initiating capabilities in HCC cells. MyD88 was found to be able to interact with p85, a regulatory subunit of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3-K), independent of TLR/IL-1R-mediated response and caused PI3-K/v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog (Akt) activation, which resulted in subsequent phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β and stabilization of Snail, a critical EMT mediator. Consistently, we observed a significant correlation between MyD88 expression and p-Akt levels in a cohort of HCC patients, and found that the combination of these two parameters have better prognostic value for HCC patients. Taken together, these results suggest that elevated MyD88 may facilitate HCC metastasis by promoting EMT properties and tumor-initiating capabilities via PI3–K/Akt pathway.

Production and repair of implant-induced microdamage in the cortical bone of goats after long-term estrogen deficiency

SUMMARY

By using an ovariectomized goat model, we found that estrogen depletion decreases bone quality and makes it susceptible to screw-induced mechanical microdamage. Both diffuse microdamage and linear cracks accumulated up to 3 weeks after screw implantation, and the microdamage was repaired gradually after 4-8 months.

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study was to observe the effect of long-term estrogen deficiency on the creation and repair of microdamage in cortical bone adjacent to bone screw.

METHODS

Cortical bone screws were placed in the tibial diaphyses 28 months after ovariectomy (OVX) or sham operation (Sham-Op) in female goats. The goats were euthanized at 0 day, 21 days, 4 months, and 8 months after screw implantation. Microdamage morphology and repair were examined in peri-screw bone using histomorphometric method, and the nanomechanical properties of peri-screw bone were examined with nanoindentation testing.

RESULTS

Tibiae from ovariectomized goats in which screws had been placed had significantly higher levels of diffuse microdamage and significantly more linear cracks than those from sham goats, and the diffuse microdamage was more obvious than linear cracks in the region adjacent to the implant. Both diffuse microdamage and linear cracks accumulated up to day 21 and then gradually repaired at 4 and 8 months after surgery. The trend for bone remodeling in each group was consistent with changes in the level of microdamage. Nanoindentation testing showed that both elastic modulus and hardness in peri-screw bone were significantly decreased in OVX group compared to Sham-Op group. The hardness and elastic modulus also showed a downward trend up to 4 months after screw implantation and then exhibited some recovery after 8 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Estrogen depletion decreases bone quality and makes it vulnerable to screw-induced mechanical damage, which may compromise the initial stability of an orthopedic implant.