Decreased level of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate: a potential biomarker for pre-symptomatic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

BACKGROUND

Several studies have reported that homocysteine (Hcy) is associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disease without special biomarkers for early diagnosis. Here, we examined the levels of Hcy, folic acid and its metabolic molecule 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) in SOD1(G93A) transgenic mouse model of ALS in an attempt to determine whether the change in those molecules can be used as potential biomarkers for the disease.

METHODS

According to the disease progression, SOD1(G93A) transgenic mice were divided into early stage group (30d); pre-symptom group (60d); symptom group (90d) and terminal stage group (120d). LC-MS/MS was used to measure the level of Hcy, folic acid and 5-MTHF in the plasma, spinal cord and cortex of the ALS transgenic SOD1(G93A) mice at different disease stages. Nissl staining was used to detect the motor neurons survival in the anterior horn of the spinal cord of the SOD1(G93A) mice.

RESULTS

In this study, we demonstrated that the level of 5-MTHF is significantly decreased in the plasma, spinal cord and cortex at the early stages of pre-symptomatic ALS transgenic SOD1(G93A) mice while folic acid is decreased at the middle to late stages of the disease. Furthermore, we found that the level of Hcy is markedly elevated after the motor symptoms appeared in the ALS mice.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that decreased 5-MTHF level may be a potential biomarker for the early stage of the disease in the ALS mice, which may warrant further validating study of 5-MTHF level in ALS patients.

Novel and recurrent mutations in the filaggrin gene in Chinese patients with ichthyosis vulgaris

BACKGROUND

Ichthyosis vulgaris (IV) is a common inherited skin disorder, and the filament aggregating protein (filaggrin) is a key protein involved in skin barrier function. Mutations in the filaggrin gene (FLG) have recently been identified as the cause of IV. However, there have been no reports of FLG mutations in mainland Chinese families with IV.

OBJECTIVES

To identify FLG mutations in Chinese patients with IV.

METHODS

Eleven unrelated Chinese families with IV were examined for FLG mutations with denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography prescreening and sequencing. SNaPShot was employed to obtain a high-throughput screening for the identified mutations.

RESULTS

Three mutations - one novel mutation (Q1256X) and two known mutations (3321delA and E2422X) - were identified in these families. The novel mutation, Q1256X, found in a Chinese family with IV, was located in filaggrin repeat 3. Mutation 3321delA, previously found in Japanese patients, was present in eight Chinese families with IV. Mutation E2422X, previously found in a Dutch patient of Chinese origin, was present in two Chinese families with IV. Neither of the null mutations, Q1256X and E2422X, were found in 100 unrelated control cases from the Chinese population; however, the mutation ratio for 3321delA was 3% in these controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that each population may have a unique and prevalent set of FLG mutations.

Search for technicolor particles produced in association with a W Boson at CDF

We present a search for the technicolor particles rho{T} and pi_{T} in the process pp-->rho{T}-->Wpi{T} at a center of mass energy of sqrt[s]=1.96 TeV. The search uses a data sample corresponding to approximately 1.9 fb{-1} of integrated luminosity accumulated by the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. The event signature we consider is W-->lnu and pi{T}-->bb, bc or bu depending on the pi{T} charge. We select events with a single high-p{T} electron or muon, large missing transverse energy, and two jets. Jets corresponding to bottom quarks are identified with multiple b-tagging algorithms. The observed number of events and the invariant mass distributions are consistent with the standard model background expectations, and we exclude a region at 95% confidence level in the rho{T}-pi{T} mass plane. As a result, a large fraction of the region m(rho{T})=180-250 GeV/c{2} and m(pi{T})=95-145 GeV/c{2} is excluded.

Outcome of elderly patients with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma after surgery

Background

Oesophagectomy may have morbidity and mortality rates that severely compromise long-term survival in elderly patients. The aim of this study was to compare clinical outcomes in elderly patients with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) with those of younger controls.

Methods

Elderly patients at least 70 years old with oesophageal SCC were matched 1 : 1 with controls aged less than 70 years according to sex, tumour stage, tumour location, histological grade, surgical approach, completeness of resection and surgical period. Co-morbidities, surgical complications, surgical mortality and long-term survival were compared.

Results

One hundred and thirty-six patients were included in each group. Surgical mortality was greater in the elderly group (5·9 versus 0·7 per cent; P = 0·036). Overall and disease-specific 5-year survival rates were worse among patients aged at least 70 years (30·0 versus 41·8 per cent, and 31·5 versus 44·7 per cent respectively), as were 10-year rates (13·7 versus 26·4 per cent, and 20·2 versus 29·0 per cent). Disease-free survival rates after 5 years (24·0 versus 35·5 per cent) and 10 years (12·3 versus 24·3 per cent) were not statistically significant (P = 0·076).

Conclusion

Poor functional status may account for higher morbidity and mortality rates in elderly patients with oesophageal SCC. Acceptable perioperative mortality rates and substantial long-term survival can still be achieved. Elderly patients should not be denied oesophagectomy.

Measurement of the Lambdab0 lifetime in Lambdab0 --> Lambdac+pi- decays in pp collisions at square root of s = 1.96 TeV

We report a measurement of the lifetime of the Lambda(b)(0) baryon in decays to the Lambda(c)(+)pi(-) final state in a sample corresponding to 1.1 fb(-1) collected in pp collisions at square root of s = 1.96 TeV by the CDF II detector at the Tevatron collider. Using a sample of about 3000 fully reconstructed Lambda(b)(0) events we measure tau(Lambda(b)(0)) = 1.401 +/- 0.046(stat) +/- 0.035(syst) ps (corresponding to ctau(Lambda(b)(0)) = 420.1 +/- 13.7(stat) +/- 10.6(syst) microm, where c is the speed of light). The ratio of this result and the world average B(0) lifetime yields tau(Lambda(b)(0))/tau(B(0)) = 0.918 +/- 0.038 (stat) and (syst), in good agreement with recent theoretical predictions.

Measurement of the WW + WZ production cross section using the lepton + jets final state at CDF II

We report two complementary measurements of the WW + WZ cross section in the final state consisting of an electron or muon, missing transverse energy, and jets, performed using pp collision data at square root of s = 1.96 TeV collected by the CDF II detector. The first method uses the dijet invariant mass distribution while the second more sensitive method uses matrix-element calculations. The result from the second method has a signal significance of 5.4sigma and is the first observation of WW + WZ production using this signature. Combining the results gives sigma(WW + WZ) = 16.0 +/- 3.3 pb, in agreement with the standard model prediction.

Search for new bottomlike quark pair decays QQ-->(tW(+)(-))(tW(+)(-)in same-charge dilepton events

We report the most restrictive direct limits on masses of fourth-generation down-type quarks b{'}, and quarklike composite fermions (B or T{5/3}), decaying promptly to tW{-/+}. We search for a significant excess of events with two same-charge leptons (e, mu), several hadronic jets, and missing transverse energy. An analysis of data from pp collisions with an integrated luminosity of 2.7 fb{-1} collected with the CDF II detector at Fermilab yields no evidence for such a signal, setting mass limits m{b{'}}, m{B}>338 GeV/c{2} and m{T{5/3}}>365 GeV/c{2} at 95% confidence level.

Hypoxia inducible factor 1alpha signaling in fractionated radiation-induced lung injury: role of oxidative stress and tissue hypoxia

To investigate the relationship of HIF1alpha signaling to oxidative stress, tissue hypoxia, angiogenesis and inflammation, female Fischer 344 rats were irradiated to the right hemithorax with a fractionated dose of 40 Gy (8 Gy x 5 days). The lung tissues were harvested before and at 4, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22 and 26 weeks after irradiation for serial studies of biological markers, including markers for hypoxia (HIF1alpha, pimonidazole and CA IX), oxidative stress (8-OHdG), and angiogenesis/capillary proliferation (VEGF/CD 105), as well as macrophage activation (ED-1) and cell signaling/fibrosis (NFkappaB, TGFbeta1), using immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. HIF1alpha staining could be observed as early as 4 weeks postirradiation and was significantly increased with time after irradiation. Importantly, HIF1alpha levels paralleled oxidative stress (8-OHdG), tissue hypoxia (pimonidazole and CA IX), and macrophage accumulation consistent with inflammatory response. Moreover, changes in HIF1alpha expression identified by immunohistochemistry assay parallel the changes in TGFbeta1, VEGF, NFkappaB and CD 105 levels in irradiated lungs. These results support the notion that oxidative stress and tissue hypoxia might serve as triggering signals for HIF1alpha activity in irradiated lungs, relating to radiation-induced inflammation, angiogenesis and fibrosis.