Virologic factors associated with failure to passive-active immunoprophylaxis in infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers

In infants born to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive mothers, failure after passive-active immunization still occurs. The role of maternal hepatitis B DNA level and other risk factors in this setting remains unclear. This study retrospectively evaluated virologic and other risk factors associated with immunoprophylaxis failure in infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers. Between January 2007 and March 2010, we reviewed the clinical and virologic tests in 869 mother-infant pairs. All infants received the identical passive-active immunization schedule after birth. The failure infants (HBsAg positive at 7-12 months of age) were compared to infants who were HBsAg negative when tested during this time period. Among 869 infants, 27 (3.1%) infants were immunoprophylaxis failures and the other 842 (96.9%) infants remained HBsAg negative. When mothers' pre-delivery HBV DNA levels were stratified to <6, 6-6.99, 7-7.99 and ≥ 8 log(10) copies/mL, the corresponding rates of immunoprophylaxis failure were 0%, 3.2% (3/95), 6.7% (19/282) and 7.6% (5/66), respectively (P < 0.001 for the trend). All failure infants were born to hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive mothers. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified maternal HBV DNA levels [odds ratio (OR) = 1.88, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07-3.30] and detectable HBV DNA in the cord blood (OR = 39.67, 95% CI: 14.22-110.64) as independent risk factors for immunoprophylaxis failure. All failure infants were born to HBeAg-positive mothers with HBV DNA levels ≥ 6 log(10) copies/mL. The presence of HBV DNA in cord blood predicted failure to passive-active immunization.

A mathematical model to estimate the risk of microalbuminuria in an overweight adult male population

Being overweight or obese promotes microalbuminuria and increases the risk of chronic kidney disease. This study aimed to develop a mathematical model to estimate the risk of microalbuminuria in overweight Chinese men. Urine albumin/creatinine ratio and metabolic variables were assessed in 1179 subjects, randomly divided into estimation and validation groups that were comparable with respect to all variables. Regression analysis identified body mass index, systolic blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose and blood uric acid as significant variables; these were used to develop a mathematical model for estimating the risk of microalbuminuria. The model generated a receiver-operating characteristic curve indicative of strong predictive accuracy for microalbuminuria (area under the curve, 0.81). A probability cut-off point of 0.50 resulted in global predictive values for microalbuminuria of 86.4% and 84.1% in the validation group (n = 354) and in all subjects, respectively. This model provides a beneficial tool for identifying overweight Chinese men at risk of microalbuminuria; additional studies are required to examine the predictive ability of the model further.

Childhood sexual abuse and the risk for recurrent major depression in Chinese women

BACKGROUND

Studies in Western countries have repeatedly shown that women with a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are at increased risk for developing major depression (MD). Would this relationship be found in China?

METHOD

Three levels of CSA (non-genital, genital, and intercourse) were assessed by self-report in two groups of Han Chinese women: 1970 clinically ascertained with recurrent MD and 2597 matched controls. Diagnostic and other risk factor information was assessed at personal interview. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated by logistic regression and regression coefficients by linear or Poisson regression.

RESULTS

Any form of CSA was significantly associated with recurrent MD [OR 3.26, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.95-5.45]. This association strengthened with increasing CSA severity: non-genital (OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.17-5.23), genital (OR 2.77, 95% CI 1.32-5.83) and intercourse (OR 13.35, 95% CI 1.83-97.42). The association between any form of CSA and MD remained significant after accounting for parental history of depression, childhood emotional neglect (CEN), childhood physical abuse (CPA) and parent-child relationship. Among the depressed women, those with CSA had an earlier age of onset, longer depressive episodes and an increased risk for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD; OR 1.92, 95% CI 1.39-2.66) and dysthymia (OR 2.16, 95% CI 1.52-3.09).

CONCLUSIONS

In Chinese women CSA is strongly associated with MD and this association increases with greater severity of CSA. Depressed women with CSA have an earlier age of onset, longer depressive episodes and increased co-morbidity with GAD and dysthymia. Although reporting biases cannot be ruled out, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that, as in Western countries, CSA substantially increases the risk for MD in China.

The time-course of single-word reading: evidence from fast behavioral and brain responses

We usually feel that we understand a familiar word “immediately”. However, even basic aspects of the time-line of word recognition are still controversial. Different domains of research have still not converged on a coherent account. An integration of multiple sources of information would lead to more strongly constrained theoretical models, and help finding optimal measures when monitoring specific aspects of word recognition impairments in patient groups. In our multimodal approach – combining fast behavioral measures, ERPs and EEG/MEG source estimation – we provide converging evidence for the latencies of earliest lexical and semantic information retrieval in visual word recognition. Participants performed lexical and semantic decisions (LD, SD) in a Go/NoGo paradigm. We introduced eye-blink latencies as a dependent variable, in order to measure behavioral responses that are faster and less variable than traditional button presses. We found that the earliest behavioral responses distinguishing stimulus categories can occur around 310 ms. Ex-Gaussian analysis of behavioral responses did not reveal reliable differences between LD and SD. The earliest ERP differences between Go and NoGo conditions occurred around 160 ms for both LD and SD. Distributed source analysis of combined EEG/MEG data estimated neuronal generators for the lexicality effect around 200 ms in the left anterior middle temporal lobe. Thus, behavior and brain responses provide coherent evidence that the brain starts retrieving lexical and semantic information near-simultaneously within 200 ms of word onset. Our results support models of word recognition that assume a continuous accumulation of task-related information from the stimulus, which might be described by Bayesian principles.

Aberrant activation of ALK kinase by a novel truncated form ALK protein in neuroblastoma

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) was originally identified from a rare subtype of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas carrying t(2;5)(p23;q35) translocation, where ALK was constitutively activated as a result of a fusion with nucleophosmin (NPM). Aberrant ALK fusion proteins were also generated in inflammatory fibrosarcoma and a subset of non-small-cell lung cancers, and these proteins are implicated in their pathogenesis. Recently, ALK has been demonstrated to be constitutively activated by gene mutations and/or amplifications in sporadic as well as familial cases of neuroblastoma. Here we describe another mechanism of aberrant ALK activation observed in a neuroblastoma-derived cell line (NB-1), in which a short-form ALK protein (ALK(del2-3)) having a truncated extracellular domain is overexpressed because of amplification of an abnormal ALK gene that lacks exons 2 and 3. ALK(del2-3) was autophosphorylated in NB-1 cells as well as in ALK(del2-3)-transduced cells and exhibited enhanced in vitro kinase activity compared with the wild-type kinase. ALK(del2-3)-transduced NIH3T3 cells exhibited increased colony-forming capacity in soft agar and tumorigenicity in nude mice. RNAi-mediated ALK knockdown resulted in the growth suppression of ALK(del2-3)-expressing cells, arguing for the oncogenic role of this mutant. Our findings provide a novel insight into the mechanism of deregulation of the ALK kinase and its roles in neuroblastoma pathogenesis.

Enhanced local processing of dynamic visual information in autism: evidence from speed discrimination

An important issue for understanding visual perception in autism concerns whether individuals with this neurodevelopmental disorder possess an advantage in processing local visual information, and if so, what is the nature of this advantage. Perception of movement speed is a visual process that relies on computation of local spatiotemporal signals but requires the comparison of information from more than a single spatial location or temporal point. This study examined speed discrimination in adolescents (ages 13-18 years old) with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Compared to healthy controls (n=17), individuals with ASD (n=19) showed similarly precise speed discrimination when two comparison motion stimuli (random dot patterns) were presented closely in time (0.5s). With a longer temporal interval (3s) between the motion stimuli, individuals with ASD outperformed healthy controls on speed discrimination. On a second task--global motion perception--in which individuals were asked to detect coherent motion, individuals with ASD exhibited slightly degraded performance levels. The observed temporally selective enhancement in speed discrimination indicates that a local processing advantage in autism develops over a longer temporal range and is not limited to the spatial domain. These results suggest a dynamic perceptual mechanism for understanding, and therapeutically addressing, atypical visual processing in this neurodevelopmental disorder.

Endotoxin tolerance attenuates liver ischemia/reperfusion injury by down-regulation of interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 in kupffer cells

AIM

The aim of this study was to study the role of interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK-4) in the formation of endotoxin tolerance (ET) in liver ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury.

METHODS

Animals were randomly divided into 3 groups: control group, I/R group, and ET group. Liver morphological changes were observed using optical microscopy with hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was quantified to measure liver functional injury. The messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expressions of IRAK-4 in Kupffer cells (KCs) isolated from recipients were detected using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot, respectively. The activities of NF-κB and the supernatant levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), IL-10 were assayed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTS

Endotoxin preconditioning improved hepatic tissue injury as indicated by morphological analysis, whereas serum ALT levels were significantly decreased at various times (P < .05); concurrently, the expression of IRAK-4 and TNF-α in KCs was down-regulated (P < .05) and the secretion of IL-10 was enhanced (P < .05); NF-κB DNA-binding activity of KCs was also significantly inhibited by endotoxin preconditioning (P < .05).

CONCLUSION

Endotoxin preconditioning attenuated the liver I/R injury caused by transplantation. The expression of IRAK-4 in KCs may play an important role in the formation of ET.

Homeobox genes in obsessive-compulsive disorder

BACKGROUND

Despite evidence that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a familial neuropsychiatric condition, progress aimed at identifying genetic determinants of the disorder has been slow. The OCD Collaborative Genetics Study (OCGS) has identified several OCD susceptibility loci through linkage analysis.

METHODS

In this study we investigate two regions on chromosomes 15q and 1q by first refining the linkage region using additional short tandem repeat polymorphic (STRP) markers. We then performed association analysis on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) genotyped (markers placed every 2-4 kb) in the linkage regions in the OCGS sample of 376 rigorously phenotyped affected families.

RESULTS

Three SNPs are most strongly associated with OCD: rs11854486 (P = 0.00005 [0.046 after adjustment for multiple tests]; genetic relative risk (GRR) = 11.1 homozygous and 1.6 heterozygous) and rs4625687 [P = 0.00007 (after adjustment = 0.06); GRR = 2.4] on 15q; and rs4387163 (P = 0.0002 (after adjustment = 0.08); GRR = 1.97) on 1q. The first SNP is adjacent to NANOGP8, the second SNP is in MEIS2, and the third is 150 kb between PBX1 and LMX1A.

CONCLUSIONS

All the genes implicated by association signals are homeobox genes and are intimately involved in neurodevelopment. PBX1 and MEIS2 exert their effects by the formation of a heterodimeric complex, which is involved in development of the striatum, a brain region involved in the pathophysiology of OCD. NANOGP8 is a retrogene of NANOG, a homeobox transcription factor known to be involved in regulation of neuronal development. These findings need replication; but support the hypothesis that genes involved in striatal development are implicated in the pathogenesis of OCD.

Design and evaluation of novel primers for the detection of genes encoding diverse enzymes of methylotrophy and autotrophy

The phylogenetic significance of the diversity of key enzymes of methylotrophic and autotrophic metabolism is discussed. Primers for these key enzymes were designed using gene sequences encoding methanol dehydrogenase (mxaF; using subsets from database sequences for 22 Bacteria), hydroxypyruvate reductase (hpr; 36 sequences), methylamine dehydrogenase (mauA; 12 sequences), methanesulfonate monooxygenase (msmA; four sequences), and the ccbL and cbbM genes of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase (26 and 23 sequences). These were effective in amplifying the correct gene products for the target genes in reference organisms and in test organisms not previously shown to contain the genes, as well as in some methylotrophic Proteobacteria isolated from the human mouth. The availability of the new primers increases the probability of detecting diverse examples of the genes encoding these key enzymes both in natural populations and in isolated bacterial strains.

PMN-PT single crystal focusing transducer fabricated using a mechanical dimpling technique

A ∼5MHz focusing PMN-PT single crystal ultrasound transducer has been fabricated utilizing a mechanical dimpling technique, where the dimpled crystal wafer was used as an active element of the focusing transducer. For the dimpled focusing transducer, the effective electromechanical coupling coefficient was enhanced significantly from 0.42 to 0.56. The dimpled transducer also yields a -6dB bandwidth of 63.5% which is almost double the bandwidth of the plane transducer. An insertion loss of the dimpled transducer (-18.1dB) is much lower than that of the plane transducer. Finite element simulation also reveals specific focused beam from concave crystal surface. These promising results show that the dimpling technique can be used to develop high-resolution focusing single crystal transducers.

Using gene expression information obtained by quantitative real-time PCR to evaluate Angus bulls divergently selected for feed efficiency

Residual feed intake (RFI) is a measure of feed efficiency in beef cattle. Young Angus bulls from lines of cattle divergently selected for RFI were used in a gene expression profiling study of the liver. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay was used to quantify the differentially expressed genes and the information was used to examine the relationships between the genes and RFI and to classify the bulls into their respective RFI group. Gene expression of 21 genes in liver biopsies from 22 low RFI and 22 high RFI bulls were measured by qPCR. Gene expressions of 14 of the 21 genes were significantly correlated with RFI. The expression of the genes was used in a principal component analysis from which five components were extracted. The five principal components explained 70% of the variation in the dependency structure. The first component was highly correlated (correlation coefficient of 0.69) with RFI. The genes of the glutathione S-transferase Mu family (GSTM1, GSTM2, GSTM4), protocadherin 19 (PCDH19), ATP-binding cassette transporter C4 (ABCC4) and superoxide dismutase 3 (SOD3) are in the xenobiotic pathway and were the key factors in the first principal component. This highlights the important relationship between this pathway and variation in RFI. The second and third principal components were also correlated with RFI, with correlation coefficients of –0.28 and –0.20, respectively. Two of the four important genes of the second principal component work coordinately in the signalling pathways that inhibit the insulin-stimulated insulin receptor and regulate energy metabolism. This is consistent with the observation that a positive genetic correlation exists between RFI and fatness. The important genes in the third principal component are related to the extracellular matrix activity, with low RFI bulls showing high extracellular matrix activity.

Implication of dysregulation of the canonical wingless-type MMTV integration site (WNT) pathway in diabetic nephropathy

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

The wingless-type MMTV integration site (WNT) pathway mediates multiple physiological and pathological processes, such as inflammation, angiogenesis and fibrosis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether canonical WNT signalling plays a role in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy.

METHODS

Expression of WNT ligands and frizzled receptors in the canonical WNT pathway in the kidney was compared at the mRNA level using real-time RT-PCR between Akita mice, streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats and db/db mice and their respective non-diabetic controls. Renal function was evaluated by measuring the urine albumin excretion. Human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells were treated with high-glucose medium and 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE). Levels of β-catenin, connective tissue growth factor and fibronectin were determined by western blot analysis.

RESULTS

Some of the WNT ligands and frizzled receptors showed increased mRNA levels in the kidneys of Akita mice, streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats and db/db mice compared with their non-diabetic controls. Renal levels of β-catenin and WNT proteins were upregulated in these diabetic models. Lowering the blood glucose levels by insulin attenuated the activation of WNT signalling in the kidneys of Akita mice. In cultured human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells, both high glucose and HNE activated WNT signalling. Inhibition of WNT signalling with a monoclonal antibody blocking LDL-receptor-related protein 6 ameliorated renal inflammation and fibrosis and reduced proteinuria in Akita mice.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

The WNT pathway is activated in the kidneys of models of both type 1 and 2 diabetes. Dysregulation of the WNT pathway in diabetes represents a new pathogenic mechanism of diabetic nephropathy and renders a new therapeutic target.

Using genes differentially expressed in bulls to classify steers divergently selected for high and low residual feed intake

Feed efficiency is an economically important trait in livestock and residual feed intake (RFI) is a commonly used measure of the trait in beef cattle. Residual feed intake is the difference between the actual feed intake recorded over a test period and the expected feed intake of an animal based on its size and growth rate. It is a heritable trait, and efficient animals have lower RFI values. Several genes have been identified as being differentially expressed in the liver of Angus bulls that have been divergently selected for RFI. The objective of this study was to use genes that are differentially expressed in bulls to classify Angus steers from the same divergent RFI selection lines. Liver samples were collected at slaughter from 40 high RFI and 40 low RFI steers that were ~23 months old, and had just completed a 251-day feedlot feeding period. RNA samples from the livers were assayed by quantitative real-time PCR for 14 genes, which have been identified previously in bulls. Steers were not measured for RFI, hence the estimated breeding values (EBV) for RFI of their parents were used to calculate their mid-parent (average of the two parents) RFI-EBV. Correlation and discriminant analyses were conducted on the normalised quantitative real-time PCR data from the steers. Discriminant analysis was also conducted on the bull data for comparison. In the steers, 8 out of the 14 genes were significantly (P < 0.05) correlated with RFI-EBV. Two genes from the glutathione S-transferase mu family (GSTM1 and GSTM2) and the S100 calcium-binding protein A10 (S100A10) had the highest correlations with RFI-EBV, with correlation coefficients of 0.59, 0.44 and 0.36, respectively. Based on the 14 expressed genes, 84% of the steers and 98% of the bulls were correctly classified into their respective RFI selection lines. The results of this study indicate that a high proportion of the genes that were differentially expressed in the original study with bulls were also differentially expressed in this study with steers. The high accuracy in classification obtained in this study shows that the transcriptional approach to the study of the biological processes involved in variation in RFI has great potential for identification of candidate genes.

Elevated lysosome-associated protein transmembrane-4β-35 is an independent prognostic marker in pancreatic carcinoma

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the relationship between lysosome-associated protein transmembrane-4β-35 (LAPTM4B-35) and the clinicopathological features and prognosis of pancreatic carcinoma.

METHODS

The level of LAPTM4B-35 protein was determined by semi quantitative immunohistochemistry in pancreatic carcinoma specimens. The relationship between LAPTM4B-35 level and prognosis was determined using univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

A total of 98 patient samples were included. The presence of LAPTM4B-35 protein was confirmed in 77/98 (78.6%) patients and was significantly associated with tumour stage, degree of differentiation and pathological staging of pancreatic carcinoma after primary surgery. Patients with high LAPTM4B-35 levels had a poorer overall survival compared with patients with lower levels. Multivariate analysis showed that LAPTM4B-35 was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival.

CONCLUSIONS

LAPTM4B-35 was found to be present at high levels in a large proportion of patients with pancreatic carcinoma, and was closely related to disease progression and poor prognosis. LAPTM4B-35 may represent a new molecular target for the clinical evaluation and treatment of pancreatic carcinoma.

Primary retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenoma adjacent to the kidney: report of two cases and review

We report two cases of primary retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenomas mistaken as renal cysts and discuss the differential diagnosis and management of this tumor.

Deletion of estrogen receptor beta accelerates early stage of bone healing in a mouse osteotomy model

This study examined the role of estrogen receptor (ER) beta during mouse femoral fracture healing by employing ER knockout (KO) mice. The fracture healing in KO mice was enhanced in the early stage of neovascularization and the middle stage of endochondral ossification.

INTRODUCTION

This study was conducted to examine the role of ER beta during fracture healing.

METHODS

Female ERbeta knockout (KO) mice (18 weeks old) and age-matched female wild-type (WT) mice underwent open osteotomy on the right femur. They were sacrificed at 1, 2, 4 and 6 weeks post-fracture. The sera and callus samples were subjected to the following analyses: micro-computed tomography (CT)-based angiography, micro-CT evaluation, histological examination, histomorphometry examination, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis, biochemical marker, and mechanical testing.

RESULTS

Micro-CT-based angiography showed that the total vessel volume at the fracture site was larger in the KO group than the WT group at 1 and 2 weeks post-fracture. Micro-CT analysis revealed that the callus volume was significantly higher in the KO group from week 2 to week 4 post-fracture when compared with the WT group consistent with the histological data. Analysis of biochemical markers indicated that circulating P1NP levels in the KO mice were significantly higher than in the WT mice from week 2 to week 4 and that temporal expression of circulating C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX) levels was also higher in the KO mice than in the WT mice. These results were consistent with quantitative real-time PCR analysis. The ultimate load, stiffness, and energy to failure were significantly higher in the KO mice than in the WT mice at week 4.

CONCLUSIONS

The fracture healing in KO mice was enhanced in the early stage of neovascularization and the middle stage of endochondral ossification, but not by the end of healing. Blockade of ERbeta can be considered as another therapeutic strategy for osteoporotic fracture and non-union fracture.