Selective Depletion of Alloreactive T Cells Leads to Long-Term Islet Allograft Survival across a Major Histocompatibility Complex Mismatch in Diabetic Mice

Islet cell transplantation as a therapy for type 1 diabetes has been limited by progressive graft loss. Significant immunosuppression including T-cell ablation has been used in an attempt to limit islet rejection. Here, we show that CD3+ lymphocytes depleted of alloreactive T cells selected from a mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR), where responder BALB/c splenocytes stained with carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) were stimulated with irradiated C57BL/6 splenocytes for 5 days, infused into diabetic immunodeficient mice are capable of restoring a broad T-cell repertoire and specifically do not reject islet transplants from the strain (C57BL/6) used in the original depletion. These mice demonstrate reconstitution with CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, the capacity to reject third-party grafts (CBA), and restoration of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) responses to third-party alloantigens. Over time, both forkhead box P3-positive (Foxp3+) T regulatory cells (Tregs) and γδ T cells expand, suggesting a role for peripheral tolerance, in addition to the initial depletion of alloreactive T cells, in long-term islet graft survival. Our results suggest that immune restoration with CD3+ lymphocytes where alloreactive T cells are removed can restore cognate immunity without islet allograft loss and recurrence of diabetes.

Monitoring luciferase-labeled human prostate stem cell antigen-expressing tumor growth in a mouse model

The aim of this study was to establish a tumor model in mice with the expression of luciferase (Luc) and human prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA), in order to evaluate the activities of anticancer drugs or vaccines for prostate cancer. RM-1 cells were stably transfected with pcDNA-Luc and pcDNA-PSCA plasmids. The Luc-expressing cells were examined using a luminometer and the PSCA-expressing cells were examined using a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and flow cytometric analysis. Male C57BL/6 mice were inoculated subcutaneously with the RM-PSCA/Luc cells, prior to the tumor growth and survival time of the mice being measured, respectively. In vivo bioluminescence imaging was used to detect Luc expression and immunohistochemical analysis was used to detect PSCA expression. Inoculation of the tumor cells into the C57BL/6 mice closely mimicked the tumor growth of prostate cancer. All of the inoculated mice exhibited a detectable tumor within two weeks. Tumor progression was able to be quantitatively monitored following the inoculation of 1×10⁶ RM-PSCA/Luc cells. There was an excellent correlation (R²=0.9849) between the photon counts and tumor volume. The expression of PSCA in tumor tissues was confirmed using immunohistochemical analysis. The Luc and PSCA co-expression tumor model was successfully established in mice, which is likely to accelerate the understanding of the pathogenesis of prostate cancer and facilitate the development of novel antitumor drugs or vaccines for the disease.

The effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibitory peptide LAP on the left common carotid artery remodeling in spontaneously hypertensive rats

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the protective effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory peptide LAP on the left common carotid artery remodeling in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs).

METHODS

A cohort of male SHRs were randomly divided into three groups (n = 10 for each group): pseudo-experimental group, enalapril-treated group as a positive control group, ACE-inhibitory peptide LAP-treated group. After the experiment, the left common carotid artery from each rat was removed for morphological evaluation.

RESULTS

It was observed that the vascular medial thickness, media thickness/lumen diameter, medial cross-sectional area and mean nuclear area of smooth muscle cells of the left common carotid artery in the LAP group or enalapril group were significantly lower than those in the pseudo-experimental group, while there was no significant difference in these parameters observed between the LAP group and enalapril group. Additionally, the vascular area percentage of collagen fibers of the left common carotid artery in the LAP group and enalapril group was significantly lower than that of the pseudo-experimental group.

CONCLUSIONS

The protective vessel remodeling effect in SHRs was observed with ACE-inhibitory peptide LAP in SHRs by decreasing blood pressure, inhibiting smooth muscle cell hypertrophy and reducing the proliferation of collagen fibers.

Expression and purification of recombinant proteins based on human prostate stem cell antigen and heat shock protein-70

The aim of this study was to express and purify recombinant proteins based on human prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) and heat shock protein-70 (HSP70). The PSCA gene and various structural domains of HSP70 were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with the respective primers. Then, the PSCA was cloned into the prokaryotic expression vector pET21a(+) with the amino-terminus, carboxyl-terminus and overall length of HSP70, by enzyme digestion to construct the recombinant plasmids pET21-PSCA-HSPN, pET21-PSCA-HSPC and pET21-PSCA-HSP, respectively. After being expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli) by isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) induction, recombinant fusion proteins were purified. Western blotting was performed to confirm the expression of the recombinant proteins. The results revealed that recombinant plasmids were successfully constructed. The PSCA-HSPC and PSCA-HSP expressed in E. coli existed in soluble form, as confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The purity of the recombinant proteins PSCA-HSPC and PSCA-HSP reached >95% following purification with the nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni-NTA) resin, Phenyl-Sepharose Fast Flow and Superdex 75, which lays a foundation for the development of vaccines for prostate cancer.

Ultracold fermi gases with resonant dipole-dipole interaction

The superfluid phases in resonant dipolar Fermi gases are investigated by the standard mean-field theory. In contrast to the crossover from Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) to Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer superfluid in Fermi gases with isotropic interactions, resonant dipolar interaction leads to two completely different BEC phases of the tight-binding Fermi molecules on both sides of the resonance, which are characterized by two order parameters with distinct internal symmetries. We point out that, near the resonances, the two competitive phases can coexist, and an emergent relative phase between the two order parameters spontaneously breaks time-reversal symmetry, which could be observed in momentum resolved rf spectroscopy.

Creation of a six-fingered artificial transcription factor that represses the hepatitis B virus HBx gene integrated into a human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is an independent risk factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The HBV HBx gene is frequently identified as an integrant in the chromosomal DNA of patients with HCC. HBx encodes the X protein (HBx), a putative viral oncoprotein that affects transcriptional regulation of several cellular genes. Therefore, HBx may be an ideal target to impede the progression of HBV infection-related HCC. In this study, integrated HBx was transcriptionally downregulated using an artificial transcription factor (ATF). Two three-fingered Cys2-His2 zinc finger (ZF) motifs that specifically recognized two 9-bp DNA sequences regulating HBx expression were identified from a phage-display library. The ZF domains were linked into a six-fingered protein that specified an 18-bp DNA target in the Enhancer I region upstream of HBx. This DNA-binding domain was fused with a Krüppel-associated box (KRAB) transcriptional repression domain to produce an ATF designed to downregulate HBx integrated into the Hep3B HCC cell line. The ATF significantly repressed HBx in a luciferase reporter assay. Stably expressing the ATF in Hep3B cells resulted in significant growth arrest, whereas stably expressing the ATF in an HCC cell line lacking integrated HBx (HepG2) had virtually no effect. The targeted downregulation of integrated HBx is a promising novel approach to inhibiting the progression of HBV infection-related HCC.

The effect of cigarette smoke extract on thrombomodulin-thrombin binding: an atomic force microscopy study

Cigarette smoking is a well-known risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Smoking can cause vascular endothelial dysfunction and consequently trigger haemostatic activation and thrombosis. However, the mechanism of how smoking promotes thrombosis is not fully understood. Thrombosis is associated with the imbalance of the coagulant system due to endothelial dysfunction. As a vital anticoagulation cofactor, thrombomodulin (TM) located on the endothelial cell surface is able to regulate intravascular coagulation by binding to thrombin, and the binding results in thrombosis inhibition. This work focused on the effects of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) on TM-thrombin binding by atomic force microscopy (AFM) based single-molecule force spectroscopy. The results from both in vitro and live-cell experiments indicated that CSE could notably reduce the binding probability of TM and thrombin. This study provided a new approach and new evidence for studying the mechanism of thrombosis triggered by cigarette smoking.

Chondroitin sulfate and/or glucosamine hydrochloride for Kashin-Beck disease: a cluster-randomized, placebo-controlled study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of chondroitin sulfate and/or glucosamine hydrochloride in alleviating symptoms and improving the dysfunction of Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) patients.

METHODS

We undertook a cluster-randomized, placebo-controlled trial in 251 patients with KBD. Participants were randomly allocated to comparing (1) chondroitin sulfate, (2) glucosamine hydrochloride, (3) a combination of chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine hydrochloride, or (4) placebo, for 6 months duration. The primary outcome measures of interest were 20% and 50% reductions in pain from baseline, measured by pain subscale in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) Index. Secondary outcome measures included parameters in the WOMAC Index such as pain, stiffness, and physical function, as well as patients' quality of life by the 12-item Short-Form General Health Survey. The trial registration number is ChiCTR-TRC-11001480 (http://www.chictr.org/).

RESULTS

A combination therapy of chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine hydrochloride was effective in reducing WOMAC pain by 20% (differences of 23.4%, P=0.006) and 50% (differences of 15.7%, P=0.016), WOMAC pain (P=0.032), WOMAC stiffness (P=0.043), and WOMAC total score (P=0.035). Chondroitin sulfate used alone was also found to be effective in reducing WOMAC total score and stiffness score (P=0.038 and P=0.023, respectively). No significant positive effects in improving WOMAC Index scores were observed with glucosamine hydrochloride alone.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study indicate that a combination of chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine hydrochloride was more effective than placebo in treating KBD.

Prediction and identification of mouse cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitopes in Ebola virus glycoproteins

Background

Ebola viruses (EBOVs) cause severe hemorrhagic fever with a high mortality rate. At present, there are no licensed vaccines or efficient therapies to combat EBOV infection. Previous studies have shown that both humoral and cellular immune responses are crucial for controlling Ebola infection. CD8⁺ T cells play an important role in mediating vaccine-induced protective immunity. The objective of this study was to identify H-2^d-specific T cell epitopes in EBOV glycoproteins (GPs).

Results

Computer-assisted algorithms were used to predict H-2^d-specific T cell epitopes in two species of EBOV (Sudan and Zaire) GP. The predicted peptides were synthesized and identified in BALB/c mice immunized with replication-deficient adenovirus vectors expressing the EBOV GP. Enzyme-linked immunospot assays and intracellular cytokine staining showed that the peptides RPHTPQFLF (Sudan EBOV), GPCAGDFAF and LYDRLASTV (Zaire EBOV) could stimulate splenoctyes in immunized mice to produce large amounts of interferon-gamma.

Conclusion

Three peptides within the GPs of two EBOV strains were identified as T cell epitopes. The identification of these epitopes should facilitate the evaluation of vaccines based on the Ebola virus glycoprotein in a BALB/c mouse model.

Spin-orbit-coupled dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates

We propose an experimental scheme to create spin-orbit coupling in spin-3 Cr atoms using Raman processes. By employing the linear Zeeman effect and optical Stark shift, two spin states within the ground electronic manifold are selected, which results in a pseudospin-1/2 model. We further study the ground state structures of a spin-orbit-coupled Cr condensate. We show that, in addition to the stripe structures induced by the spin-orbit coupling, the magnetic dipole-dipole interaction gives rise to the vortex phase, in which a spontaneous spin vortex is formed.

Short sleep duration in association with CT-scanned abdominal fat areas: the Hitachi Health Study

OBJECTIVE

To examine the relationship between short sleep duration and body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), visceral fat area (VFA) and subcutaneous fat area (SFA) among a working population in Japan.

DESIGN

Health-center-based, cross-sectional study.

SUBJECTS

The study subjects included 5400 men and 642 women aged 30 to 75 years who underwent an abdominal computed tomography (CT) scanning examination in a comprehensive health checkup.

MEASUREMENTS

Height and weight were measured, and BMI was calculated. WC, VFA and SFA were measured using a CT scanner. Sleep duration was self-reported. Analysis of covariance was used to estimate adjusted means of BMI, WC, VFA and SFA across categories of sleep duration with adjustments for potential confounders. Trend of the association was assessed using multiple linear regression analysis.

RESULTS

In men, the mean values of BMI, WC and SFA decreased with increasing sleep duration after adjustment for age, physical activity, smoking and drinking (P-value for trend <0.001). Additional adjustment for physical illnesses did not attenuate the explanatory power of the models (P-value for trend <0.001). In addition, the association between sleep duration and SFA did not change after controlling for VFA (P-value for trend <0.001). The mean values of SFA for subjects sleeping '<5 h', '5 to <6 h', '6 to <7 h' and '7 h' per day were 145.8±67.4 cm(2), 138.7±61.5 cm(2), 134.7±60.4 cm(2) and 132.5±49.2 cm(2), respectively. Sleep duration was not appreciably associated with VFA. In women, no significant association was detected in any models.

CONCLUSION

Shorter sleep duration is associated with higher BMI, WC and SFA in men. Further research is needed to explicate the biological mechanisms behind these relationships and to see whether interventions addressing inadequate sleep could treat or prevent obesity by taking gender differences into consideration.

Antiviral potential of exogenous human omega interferon to inhibit pandemic 2009 A (H1N1) influenza virus

The pandemic 2009 H1N1 influenza virus broke out in North America and spread rapidly throughout the world. The type I interferon (IFN) response represents one of the first lines of defense against influenza virus infections. In this study, the protective potential of human exogenous IFN-ω against pandemic 2009 A (H1N1) influenza virus was assessed both in vitro and in guinea pigs. The viral loads of pandemic 2009 A (H1N1) influenza virus strains A/California/04/2009 and A/Beijing/501/2009 were reduced by up to 5000-fold in Caco-2 cells by the addition of human IFN-ω. With daily intranasal treatment with human IFN-ω the viral load of pandemic 2009 A (H1N1) influenza virus strain A/California/04/2009 decreased by 1000-fold in lung tissues of guinea pigs. These results provide strong support for the application of human IFN-ω pretreatment to human influenza control.

The efficacy and tolerability of modified docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5FU in patients with advanced or recurrent gastric cancer: A retrospective analysis

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Background: Docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5FU (DCF) significantly improved TTP, OS, and response rate in gastric cancer patients, but resulted in some increase in toxicity compared with cisplatin and 5FU (CF) in multinational study such as V325 report. The main goal of this study is to report the experience of a single center about efficacy and tolerability of modified DCF in advanced or recurrent gastric cancer patients.

Methods: A total of 23 patients with advanced or recurrent gastric cancer who had been treated with modified docetaxel, cisplatin and 5FU (mDCF) at Seoul Paik Hospital between Feb 2009 and June 2010 were included. Treatment protocol was 60 mg/m2 of docetaxel, 50 mg/m2 of cisplatin on D1, and 950 mg/m2/day of 5FU continuous infusion on D1-3 until disease progression or intolerance to chemotherapy. Clinical data were collected retrospectively.

Results: Twenty-one patients were assessable for response. The ORR was 34.8% (8/23), and DCR 69.6% (16/23). Median PFS and OS were 6.8 months (95% CI, 3.8-9.8) and 11.9 months (95% CI, 6.6-17.2). The main toxicities were anorexia, diarrhea, and neuropathy. Grade 3 or 4 hematologic toxicities were neutropenia in 4 patients (17.4%), leukopenia in 5 patients (21.7%), anemia in 2 patients (8.7%) and thrombocytopenia 1 patient (4.3%). The treatment related death occurred in 1 patient (4.3%) due to febrile neutropenia. The median cycle was 5. Ten patients (43.5%) received chemotherapy more than 8 cycles with tolerable toxicities.

Conclusions: Compared with previous studies, the presented mDCF showed a lower ORR, but more acceptable toxicities profiles, and similar PFS and OS in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Investigation of porcine endogenous retrovirus in the conservation population of Ningxiang pig

Porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV) varies between pig breeds. Screening and analysis of PERV in putative pig breeds may provide basic parameters to evaluate the biological safety of xenotransplantation from pigs to humans. In this study, PERV was investigated among the conservation population of the Ningxiang pig. The result revealed that the genotype of PERV distribution was subtype A, 100%; subtype B, 100%; and subtype C, 100%. The env sequences of PERV-A and -B showed 11 clones detected by KpnI and MboI digestion, indicating that there existed multiple variants of PERV-A and -B in the Ningxiang pig. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction results showed that PERV had transcriptional activity in these individuals. In addition, PERV A/C recombinant was detected in most individuals of Ningxiang pig. Because PERV A/C recombinants increase the potential infectious risk, the breed may not be a proper donor for xenotransplantation.

Sweet's syndrome: an update and review

Sweet's syndrome, or acute neutrophilic dermatosis, is an unusual dermatologic disorder that may serve as a marker of leukemia or lymphoma, other malignancy or another serious systemic disorder. It is characterized by the sudden eruption of tender discrete erythematous nodules or plaques which are sometimes associated with fever, neutrophilic leukocytosis, and a dense dermal infiltrate of mature neutrophils. It may occur as a hypersensitivity reaction with cytokines playing a pivotal role. It may remit after the treatment of an underlying cancer or discontinuation of an offending pharmacologic agent, although it con also resolve spontaneously without therapeutic intervention. The gold standard of treatment is with systemic corticosteroids; however, potassium iodide, colchicine and other therapeutic agents have been utilized successfully.

Changes in vegetation in northern Alaska under scenarios of climate change, 2003-2100: implications for climate feedbacks

Assessing potential future changes in arctic and boreal plant species productivity, ecosystem composition, and canopy complexity is essential for understanding environmental responses under expected altered climate forcing. We examined potential changes in the dominant plant functional types (PFTs) of the sedge tundra, shrub tundra, and boreal forest ecosystems in ecotonal northern Alaska, USA, for the years 2003-2100. We compared energy feedbacks associated with increases in biomass to energy feedbacks associated with changes in the duration of the snow-free season. We based our simulations on nine input climate scenarios from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and a new version of the Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (TEM) that incorporates biogeochemistry, vegetation dynamics for multiple PFTs (e.g., trees, shrubs, grasses, sedges, mosses), multiple vegetation pools, and soil thermal regimes. We found mean increases in net primary productivity (NPP) in all PFTs. Most notably, birch (Betula spp.) in the shrub tundra showed increases that were at least three times larger than any other PFT. Increases in NPP were positively related to increases in growing-season length in the sedge tundra, but PFTs in boreal forest and shrub tundra showed a significant response to changes in light availability as well as growing-season length. Significant NPP responses to changes in vegetation uptake of nitrogen by PFT indicated that some PFTs were better competitors for nitrogen than other PFTs. While NPP increased, heterotrophic respiration (RH) also increased, resulting in decreases or no change in net ecosystem carbon uptake. Greater aboveground biomass from increased NPP produced a decrease in summer albedo, greater regional heat absorption (0.34 +/- 0.23 W x m(-2) x 10 yr(-1) [mean +/- SD]), and a positive feedback to climate warming. However, the decrease in albedo due to a shorter snow season (-5.1 +/- 1.6 d/10 yr) resulted in much greater regional heat absorption (3.3 +/- 1.24 W x m(-2) x 10 yr(-1)) than that associated with increases in vegetation. Through quantifying feedbacks associated with changes in vegetation and those associated with changes in the snow season length, we can reach a more integrated understanding of the manner in which climate change may impact interactions between high-latitude ecosystems and the climate system.

Primary chemotherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, or whole brain radiotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with asymptomatic brain metastases

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Background: Approximately 25 to 30% of patients with lung cancer develop brain metastases at some stage and 12∼18% at the time of initial presentation. Whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) has long been a mainstay of treatment of brain metastases. Another treatment approach, Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a method of delivering high doses of focal irradiation to a tumor while minimizing the irradiation to the adjacent normal tissue. However, the prognosis of NSCLC patients with asymptomatic brain metastases, who are not treated with SRS or WBRT, has not been fully investigated yet. This study aimed to analyze the outcome for various treatment modalities in NSCLC patients with asymptomatic brain metastases. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 129 patients with a histopathologically proven NSCLC and a synchronous brain metastases between January 2003 and December 2007. The patients were categorized as primary chemotherapy, primary SRS, and primary WBRT group: primary chemotherapy (78 patients), primary SRS (24 patients), and primary WBRT (27 patients). Results: With median follow-up of 30.0 months (7.2 -70.7), the median overall survival (OS) for the entire patients was 15.6 months (0.5–50.7) and the progression free survival (PFS) was 6.1 months (0.3- 53.0). The OS was 22.4m for primary SRS group, 13.9m for primary chemotherapy group, and 17.7m for primary WBRT group; p=0.86). However, patients treated with primary SRS showed trend toward prolonged survival compared to those of primary WBRT p=0.06). Subset analysis of 110 adenocarcinoma patients showed that the median OS for patients treated with primary SRS was longer than those of primary WRBT (29.3m vs 17.7m p=0.01) or primary chemotherapy (29.3m vs 14.6m p=0.04). Conclusions: These results suggest that for NSCLC patients with asymptomatic brain metastases at first diagnosis, SRS rather than primary chemotherapy or WBRT might be considered as initial treatment, especially for patients with adenocarcinoma.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Definitive chemoradiation therapy with capecitabine in locally advanced pancreatic cancer

e15558

Background: We evaluated safety and efficacy of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with capecitabine in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC). We also tried to devise a prognostic model for LAPC undergoing definitive CCRT. Methods: Between January 2004 and January 2008, 39 patients with LAPC treated with capecitabine CCRT were reviewed. Capecitabine was administered at 850 mg/m2 bid every day for 5 weeks. Radiotherapy was given 5 days per week, at 1.8 Gy fractions, over the 5 weeks. Results: Thirty seven (94.8%) patients completed CCRT, and 2 patients removed during the treatment for toxicity issues. Of the 36 evaluable patients, 15 (41.7 %) patients achieved partial response, and 13 (36.1 %) had a stable disease with 77.8% of disease control rate. Among the 28 patients who had achieved disease control after CCRT, 8 patients (21.6 %) received gemcitabine-based post-CCRT chemotherapy without dose reduction or delay. With median 1.8 years of follow- up, the overall survival was 14.3 months (95% confidence interval [CI]; 10.6–17.9 months). Median progression free survival was 11.1 (95% CI 7.2–15.1) for all patients, and 7.9 months (95% CI 6.6–9.2) for those not received post-CCRT chemotherapy. No patient had grade 4 hematologic or non-hematologic toxicity. Eight patients (21.6%) had severe grade 3 toxicities, 7 (18.9%) with gastrointestinal toxicity and 1 (2.7%) with hematologic toxicity. Prognostic factors for survival were serum albumin (P=0.014; relative risk [RR], 3.4; 95% CI, 1.4, 8.6), and adjuvant gemcitabine treatment (P = 0.005; RR, 3.5; 95% CI, 1.2, 10.6). The prognostic grouping resulted in three groups with significantly different prognosis: group 1 (0 adverse factor; n=8; 1-year survival, 87.5%), group 2 (1 adverse factor; n=23; 1-year survival, 52.9%) and group 3 (2 adverse factors; n=8; 1-year survival, 25.0%). Conclusions: Combined therapy with capecitabine CCRT was well tolerated. Capecitabine seems to be a promising regimen in the treatment of LAPC, in terms of response, survival, and tolerable adverse effects.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Correlates of N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptides in African Americans with hypertensive chronic kidney disease: the African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The N-amino-terminal fragment of the prohormone B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a marker of cardiac stress and elevated levels are indicative of heart failure. Few correlates of NT-proBNP levels have been identified in persons with moderate chronic kidney disease (CKD), and data from those without heart failure and from African Americans are especially limited.

METHODS

The African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension (AASK) enrolled nondiabetic African Americans with hypertensive kidney disease (glomerular filtration rate [GFR] = 20-65 ml/min/1.73 m(2)) and no evidence of clinical heart failure. NT-proBNP was measured in 982 AASK participants.

RESULTS

In unadjusted analyses, GFR (r = -0.39; p < 0.001), hematocrit (r = -0.21; p < 0.001) and body mass index (BMI; r = -0.07; p = 0.04) were inversely correlated, and systolic blood pressure (r = 0.30; p < 0.001) and log UPCR (r = 0.32; p < 0.001) were positively correlated with log NT-proBNP levels. After adjustment for potential confounders, lower GFR and hematocrit and higher systolic blood pressure and protein:creatinine ratio remained significantly associated with higher NT-proBNP.

CONCLUSION

Lower GFR and hematocrit, and higher urinary protein excretion may be associated with volume expansion in CKD. These results suggest that these processes are associated with increased NT-proBNP in CKD and may play a role in the development of heart failure.

N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide as a predictor of cardiovascular disease and mortality in blacks with hypertensive kidney disease: the African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension (AASK)

BACKGROUND

Higher levels of N-terminal prohormone brain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) predict cardiovascular disease (CVD) in several disease states, but few data are available in patients with chronic kidney disease or in blacks.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension trial enrolled hypertensive blacks with a glomerular filtration rate of 20 to 65 mL x min(-1) x 1.73 m(-2) and no other identified cause of kidney disease. NT-proBNP was measured with a sandwich chemiluminescence immunoassay (coefficient of variation 2.9%) in 994 African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension participants. NT-proBNP was categorized as undetectable, low, moderate, or high. Proteinuria was defined as 24-hour urinary protein-creatinine ratio >0.22. A total of 134 first CVD events (CVD death or hospitalization for coronary artery disease, heart failure, or stroke) occurred over a median of 4.3 years. Participants with high NT-proBNP were much more likely to have a CVD event than participants with undetectable NT-proBNP after adjustment (relative hazard 4.0 [95% confidence interval [CI] 2.1 to 7.6]). A doubling of NT-proBNP was associated with a relative hazard of 1.3 (95% CI 1.0 to 1.6) for coronary artery disease, 1.7 (95% CI 1.4 to 2.2) for heart failure, 1.1 (95% CI 0.9 to 1.4) for stroke, and 1.8 (95% CI 1.4 to 2.4) for CVD death. The association of NT-proBNP with CVD events was significantly stronger (P(interaction)=0.05) in participants with than in those without proteinuria. Higher NT-proBNP was not associated with renal disease progression.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that elevated NT-proBNP levels are associated with higher CVD risk among blacks with hypertensive kidney disease. This association may be stronger in individuals with significant proteinuria.

Vaccination with a DNA vaccine based on human PSCA and HSP70 adjuvant enhances the antigen-specific CD8+ T-cell response and inhibits the PSCA+ tumors growth in mice

BACKGROUND

DNA vaccines have been shown to be an effective approach to induce antigen-specific cellular and humoral immunity. However, the lower immune intensity in clinical trials limits the application of DNA vaccine. Here we intend to develop a new DNA vaccine based on prostate stem-cell antigen (PSCA), which has been suggested as a potential target for prostate cancer therapy, and enhance the DNA vaccine potency with heat shock proteins (HSPs) as adjuvant.

METHODS

A series of DNA plasmids encoding human PSCA, human HSP70 and their conjugates was constructed and injected into male mice intramuscularly (i.m.). To evaluate the immune responses and therapeutic efficacy of these plasmids, major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted PSCA and HSP70-specific epitopes were predicted and a mouse model with a human PSCA-expressing tumor was constructed.

RESULTS

The result showed that mice vaccinated with PSCA-HSP plasmids generated the strongest PSCA-specific CD8+ T-cell immune response, but the CD4+ TH1 and TH2 cell immune responses were similar with those vaccinated with other HSP-adjuvant PSCA plasmids or only PSCA DNA. The immunity of HSP70 was also observed and the mice i.m. injected with PSCA+ HSP mixed plasmids generated the lowest anti-HSP antibodies. Furthermore, these vaccinations inhibited the growth of PSCA-expressing tumors and prolonged mouse survival.

CONCLUSIONS

These observations emphasize and extend the potential of the human HSP70 gene as adjuvant for DNA vaccines, and the vaccine based on PSCA and HSP70 is of potential value for treating prostate cancer.

Outcome of surgery for a symptomatic herniated thoracic disc in relation to preoperative characteristics of the disc

BACKGROUND

This report presents general information on herniated thoracic discs, their clinical manifestations as well as surgical treatment, and examines the differences in the surgical outcome based on disc characteristics.

METHODS

This study includes 33 thoracic discectomies in 29 patients with a ventrally situated herniated thoracic disc reaching to the thoracic cord. Using preoperative computed tomography scanning and magnetic resonance imaging, the direction of the disc was classified as either central or lateral, and disc consistency classified as either soft or hard. Clinical outcome was assessed according to the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) Score for thoracic myelopathy. The score was obtained by analysing motor, sensory and bladder function. Recovery rate was assessed, comparing preoperative and postoperative status based on disc characteristics. The correlations between outcome, symptom duration and recovery rate were also investigated.

FINDINGS

Clinical outcome according to the JOA Score showed significant postoperative improvement, increasing from 7.0 +/- 3.1 points to 8.2 +/- 2.7 points postoperatively (p < 0.01). The mean recovery rate was 12.4 +/- 56.9%, and 16 patients (55.2%) showed improvement. In the soft disc group, there was improvement in all categories, but the hard disc group showed no improvement. The central disc group showed improvement in sensory function, but the lateral disc group showed little improvement. Regression analysis revealed a statistically significant correlation between the preoperative and postoperative score, symptom duration and recovery rate.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical outcome after surgery of a herniated thoracic disc proved successful, especially when the disc was considered to have a soft consistency. In order to decide the optimal surgical strategy and prospective surgical outcome, disc characteristics, including consistency and direction of prolapse should be considered preoperatively.

Cervical arthroplasty in a patient with Klippel-Feil syndrome

This is the first published report of a patient with Klippel-Feil syndrome treated with cervical arthroplasty. A 36-year-old man presented with posterior neck pain and myelopathic symptoms. A radiograph demonstrated congenital fusion of the vertebral bodies at C2-3, C4-5 and C5-6. On MRI, the spinal cord was compressed by a protruding cervical disc and bony spurs at C6-7. After anterior discectomy and decompression of the spinal cord at the C6-7 level, the disc was replaced with the Bryan cervical disc system (Medtronic Sofamor Danek, Memphis, TN, USA) to restore normal motion. The absence of adjacent segment degeneration and the preservation of cervical motion were noted 2 years after surgery. Arthroplasty may be performed in selected patients with Klippel-Feil syndrome in order to restore motion and to prevent degeneration of the adjacent segment by reducing hypermobility.

Novel quantum phases of dipolar bose gases in optical lattices

We investigate the quantum phases of polarized dipolar bosons loaded into a two-dimensional square and three-dimensional cubic optical lattices. We show that the long-range and anisotropic nature of the dipole-dipole interaction induces a rich variety of quantum phases, including the supersolid and striped supersolid phases in two-dimensional lattices, and the layered supersolid phase in three-dimensional lattices.

Irinotecan monotherapy as second-line treatment in advanced pancreatic cancer

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Background: The aim of this phase II study was to determine whether second line therapy with single agent irinotecan could provide any clinical benefit in patients with gemcitabine- pretreated advanced pancreatic cancer. Methods: From January 2004 to October 2006, patients with advanced pancreatic cancer previously treated with gemcitabine alone or combination were treated with single agent irinotecan(150 mg/m2, biweekly), until unacceptable toxicity or disease progression. Primary endpoint was response rate with single stage design. Results: Twenty-eight patients were enrolled(22 male, 6 female, median age : 54.5 years (39–76)). Nine patients are still alive and 3 remain on therapy with stable disease. The median number of cycles was 3.5(1–12). Twenty-four patients were assessable for toxicity and 21 for response. The most common toxicities was diarrhea (grade 3, 12.5%). Grade 3 neutropenia in 1 patient was observed. Other hematological and non-hematological toxicities were mild and manageable. Partial responses were observed in 3 patients (3/21, 14%). An additional 9 patients (9/21, 43%) had stable disease as their best response. 12 patients have progressed with a median time-to-progression of 4.0 months. Conclusions: Single-agent irinotecan was tolerated with manageable toxicity, offering encouraging activity as second-line treatment of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, refractory to gemcitabine.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Androgen activates PEG10 to promote carcinogenesis in hepatic cancer cells

The molecular mechanism of striking higher prevalence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in male subjects has not yet been fully elucidated. Here, we report that androgen receptor (AR) is differentially expressed in different HCC cell lines. AR agonist dihydrotestosterone (DHT) enhances HCC cell growth and apoptotic resistance. Antagonist flutamide (FLU) blocks the effects of DHT on the HCC cell lines. Paternally expressed gene 10 (PEG10) is expressed in HCC cell lines at substantial high level. Using small interfering RNAs against AR and PEG10 in AR- and PEG10-expressing BEL-7404 hepatoma cells and HuH7 hepatoma cells (HuH7) cells, and AR-transfection technique in AR-lacking and PEG10-expressing HepG2 cells, we have confirmed that through upregulation and activation of PEG10, DHT enhances HCC cell growth and apoptotic resistance. We have further demonstrated that DHT upregulates expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) in HCC cell lines in a PEG10-dependent manner. Moreover, AR directly interacts in vivo with androgen-responsive elements in the regions of promoter and exon 2 of PEG10 gene in HCC cell lines. DHT promotes the hepatoma formation in vivo nude mice through PEG10 activation. AR antagonists (FLU and valproate) inhibit the hepatoma formation. These findings suggest that PEG10 plays an essential role in hepatocarcinogenesis. The PEG10 inhibition can be a novel approach for therapy of HCC.

Ikaros is a mutational target for lymphomagenesis in Mlh1-deficient mice

Deficiencies in DNA mismatch repair (MMR) result in replication errors within key tumor suppressor genes or oncogenes, and cause hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). Hematological malignancy with microsatellite instability is also associated with defective MMR, but little is known about the target genes for MMR. Here we identified Ikaros, a master transcription factor of lymphoid lineage commitment and differentiation, as a mutational target in spontaneous and radiation-induced T-cell lymphomas in Mlh1-deficient mice. Three quarters of lymphomas lacked Ikaros protein expression, which resulted from a frameshift mutation that created a stop codon. Mononucleotide repeat sequences at 1029-1034(C)6 and 1567-1572(G)6 in Ikaros were mutational hot spots with a one-base deletion occurring with a frequency of 45 and 50%, respectively. Point mutations and splicing alterations were also observed. In total, 85% of the lymphomas showed aberrations in Ikaros. The characteristic of Mlh1-deficient lymphomas is harboring of multiple mutations simultaneously in the same tumor, displaying a combination of two frameshift mutations at different repeats, frameshift and point mutations, and/or deletion mutations. This is the first report of Ikaros mutations coupled with Mlh1 deficiency in lymphomagenesis.

Recombinant adenoviruses expressing TRAIL demonstrate antitumor effects on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

INTRODUCTION

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) induces apoptosis in a variety of malignant cells, but not in normal cells. This preferential toxicity to the abnormal cells renders TRAIL potentially a very powerful therapeutic weapon against cancer. However, a requirement for large quantities of TRAIL to suppress tumor growth in vivo is one of the major factors that has hindered it from being widely applied clinically. To overcome this, we constructed a replication-deficient adenovirus that carries a human full-length TRAIL gene (Ad-TRAIL) and tested its efficacy against a lung cancer model system in comparison to that of the recombinant soluble TRAIL protein.

METHODS

To investigate the antitumor activity and therapeutic value of the Ad-TRAIL on the non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), four NSCLC cell lines, namely, YTMLC, GLC, A549, and H460 cells, were used. TRAIL protein expression was determined by Western blotting and flow cytometry. Cell viability was analyzed by proliferation assay, and DNA ladder and cell-cycle analysis were used to identify apoptosis. To further evaluate the effect of Ad-TRAIL in vivo, YTMLC cells were inoculated to the subcutis of nude mice. The Ad-TRAIL was subsequently administered into the established tumors. Tumor growth and the TRAIL toxicity were evaluated after treatment.

RESULTS

YTMLC cells infected with Ad-TRAIL showed decreased cell viability and a higher percentage of apoptosis. Similar, Ad-TRAIL treatment also significantly suppressed tumor growth in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

TRAIL gene therapy provides a promising therapy for the treatment of NSCLC.

Dipolar effect in coherent spin mixing of two atoms in a single optical lattice site

We show that atomic dipolar effects are detectable in the system that recently demonstrated two-atom coherent spin dynamics within individual lattice sites of a Mott state. Based on a two-state approximation for the two-atom internal states and relying on a variational approach, we have estimated the spin dipolar effect. Despite the absolute weakness of the dipole-dipole interaction, it is shown that it leads to experimentally observable effects in the spin mixing dynamics.

Clinical and radiological results following cervical arthroplasty

BACKGROUND

This was a retrospective study of clinical and radiological results of cervical arthroplasty using the Bryan cervical disc prosthesis to evaluate the efficacy of arthroplasty in clinical applications.

METHODS

A total of 46 patients underwent arthroplasty of a single level using the Bryan disc prosthesis. Clinical outcome was assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and the neck disability index (NDI). All patients were evaluated using preoperative and postoperative static cervical spine radiographs to compare cervical sagittal balance. Dynamic cervical spine radiographs were used to compare movement at the level of the procedure, movement at the adjacent level and movement of the whole cervical spine.

FINDINGS

With the exception of four patients with aggravated neck pain, the NDI and VAS scores decreased significantly in late follow-up evaluations. The range of movement of the whole cervical spine, the functional segmental unit, and the adjacent segments were preserved after arthroplasty. The sagittal alignment of the cervical spine showed kyphosis after surgery but restored lordosis at a later time. The postulated cause of kyphotic changes include "over-milling" at the dorsal endplate, inappropriate angle of disc insertion, structural absence of lordosis in the Bryan disc, removal of posterior longitudinal ligament, and pre-existing kyphosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Arthroplasty using the Bryan disc appears to be safe and provided a favorable preliminary clinical and radiological outcome. Postoperative kyphosis can be prevented by understanding the biomechanical properties of the Bryan disc. Future studies will need to address the association between postoperative kyphosis, clinical outcome and adjacent segment disease.

Spontaneous spin textures in dipolar spinor condensates

We have mapped out a detailed phase diagram that shows the ground state structure of a spin-1 condensate with magnetic dipole-dipole interactions. We show that the interplay between the dipolar and the spin-exchange interactions induces a rich variety of quantum phases that exhibit spontaneous magnetic ordering in the form of intricate spin textures.

Islet-1 expression and its colocalization with luteinising hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone and oestrogen receptor alpha in the developing pituitary gland of the sheep foetus

Islet-1 has been reported to be involved in pituitary development in the early stages of mouse embryogenesis. Oestrogen receptor (ER) and its expression may be involved in regulating pituitary development and its hormone-secreting function. Islet-1 expression and its correlations to ER in the developing pituitary gland are unknown. We therefore determined the pituitary cell specific expression of Islet-1 and its colocalization with ER alpha (ERalpha) in sheep foetus by immunohistochemistry. The results demonstrated that Islet-1-immunoreactive (ir) cells were distributed throughout the pituitary gland from day 60 of gestation until birth. The Islet-1-ir cell number was significant higher at day 90 and 120 of gestation compared to that at day 60 and at birth. All of the ERalpha-ir cells were colocalized with Islet-1 at day 60 of gestation, although a few ERalpha-ir cells were negative for Islet-1 in the later stage of gestation. The dominant cell type expressing Islet-1 is the gonadotroph, although small proportions of thyrotrophs and lactotrophs also express Islet-1. The proportion of luteinising hormone-ir gonadotrophs possessing Islet-1 kept rising from day 60 to day 120 of gestation and persisted until birth. The proportion of thyroid-stimulating hormone-ir cells expressing Islet-1 was at a high level from day 60-120 of the gestation and significantly declined at birth. The percentage of prolactin (PRL)-ir cells expressing Islet-1 was about 20% at day 60 of gestation. Very few PRL-ir cells contained Islet-1 in later stages of gestation. These data suggest that the development and functional establishment of pituitary gonadotrophs, thyrotrophs and lactotrophs might be regulated by the expressions of Islet-1 and ERalpha and by their interactions, although any mechanisms need to be elucidated further.

Structural phase transitions of vortex matter in an optical lattice

We consider the vortex structure of a rapidly rotating trapped atomic Bose-Einstein condensate in the presence of a corotating periodic optical lattice potential. We observe a rich variety of structural phases which reflect the interplay of the vortex-vortex and vortex-lattice interactions. The lattice structure is very sensitive to the ratio of vortices to pinning sites and we observe structural phase transitions and domain formation as this ratio is varied.