Characterizing polymorphisms and allelic diversity of von Willebrand factor gene in the 1000 Genomes

BACKGROUND

The von Willebrand factor (VWF) gene is highly polymorphic, with variants correlated with VWF antigen levels, adhesion activity, clearance and factor VIII binding. VWF mutations are detected in patients with von Willebrand disease (VWD), whereas polymorphic variants could be associated with thrombosis. However, information on the ethnic diversity of VWF variants and their association with diseases is limited.

OBJECTIVES

To characterize novel VWF variants from different ethnicities in the general population.

PATIENTS/METHODS

We analyzed samples from 1092 subjects of 14 ethnicities available in the 1000 Genomes database for VWF variants and their potential functional impacts.

RESULTS

We identified 2728 SNPs and 91 insertions and deletions that had a high level of ethnic diversity, with Africans having the highest number of variants. The highest level of diversity was found in the D' and D2 domains. Among 94 non-synonymous variants, 31 were predicted to be deleterious, including 19 that were previously associated with VWD. Most of these 'VWD variants' had allele frequencies consistent with disease incidence in European subjects, but some had a significantly higher frequency in other ethnicities. The mutations R2185Q, H817Q and M740I associated with type 1 and type 2N VWD were present in more than 13% of African subjects.

CONCLUSIONS

These results highlight the complexity of VWF variations in different ethnic groups and emphasize the importance of interrogating variations on multiple ethnic backgrounds for associations with bleeding and thrombosis.

Prognostic significance of β-catenin expression in patients with non-small cell lung cancer: a meta-analysis

β-Catenin has been reported to play a crucial role in the invasion and metastasis of lung cancer. However, the value of β-catenin as a prognostic factor for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains controversial. The present study systematically reviewed the evidence of predicting significance of β-catenin expression in NSCLC patients with meta-analysis. Twelve literatures were included by searching PubMed, Cochrane library, and EMBASE databases. Separate hazard ratio estimates and a 95% confidence interval (CI) for the prognostic value of β-catenin in NSCLC were extracted and merged from the included literatures. The summary hazard ratios were 1.91 (95% CI 1.60-2.28), indicating a worse overall survival for NSCLC patients with reduced β-catenin expression. There was no significant heterogeneity among the studies (X(2) = 12.41, p = 0.413, I(2) = 3.3%). Publication bias was not statistically significant. Sensitivity analysis showed that omission of any single study had little effect on the combined risk estimates. This meta-study revealed that decreased β-catenin expression denoted a poor prognosis in NSCLC patients.

Pseudorapidity density of charged particles in p+Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=5.02 TeV

The charged-particle pseudorapidity density measured over four units of pseudorapidity in nonsingle-diffractive p+Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair √(s(NN))=5.02 TeV is presented. The average value at midrapidity is measured to be 16.81±0.71 (syst), which corresponds to 2.14±0.17 (syst) per participating nucleon, calculated with the Glauber model. This is 16% lower than in nonsingle-diffractive pp collisions interpolated to the same collision energy and 84% higher than in d+Au collisions at s√(s(NN))=0.2 TeV. The measured pseudorapidity density in p+Pb collisions is compared to model predictions and provides new constraints on the description of particle production in high-energy nuclear collisions.

MicroRNA-181b regulates articular chondrocytes differentiation and cartilage integrity

MicroRNAs are endogenous gene regulators that have been implicated in various developmental and pathological processes. However, the precise identities and functions of the miRNAs involved in cartilage development are not yet well understood. Here, we report that miR-181b regulates chondrocyte differentiation and maintains cartilage integrity, and is thus a potent therapeutic target. MiR-181b was significantly down-regulated during chondrogenic differentiation of TGF-β3-stimulated limb mesenchymal cells, but it was significantly up-regulated in osteoarthritic chondrocytes isolated from the cartilage of osteoarthritis patients. The use of a mimic or an inhibitor to alter miR-181b levels in chondroblasts and articular chondrocytes showed that attenuation of miR-181b reduced MMP-13 expression while inducing type II collagen expression. Furthermore, over-expression of anti-miR-181b significantly reduced the cartilage destruction caused by DMM surgery in mice. In sum, our data suggest that miR-181b is a negative regulator of cartilage development, and that inhibition of miR-181b could be an effective therapeutic strategy for cartilage-related disease.

Charge separation relative to the reaction plane in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s(NN)] = 2.76 TeV

Measurements of charge-dependent azimuthal correlations with the ALICE detector at the LHC are reported for Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s(NN)] = 2.76 TeV. Two- and three-particle charge-dependent azimuthal correlations in the pseudorapidity range |η| < 0.8 are presented as a function of the collision centrality, particle separation in pseudorapidity, and transverse momentum. A clear signal compatible with a charge-dependent separation relative to the reaction plane is observed, which shows little or no collision energy dependence when compared to measurements at RHIC energies. This provides a new insight for understanding the nature of the charge-dependent azimuthal correlations observed at RHIC and LHC energies.

Pion, kaon, and proton production in central Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s(NN)] = 2.76 TeV

In this Letter we report the first results on π(±), K(±), p, and p production at midrapidity (|y|<0.5) in central Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s(NN)] = 2.76 TeV, measured by the ALICE experiment at the LHC. The p(T) distributions and yields are compared to previous results at sqrt[s(NN)] = 200 GeV and expectations from hydrodynamic and thermal models. The spectral shapes indicate a strong increase of the radial flow velocity with sqrt[s(NN)], which in hydrodynamic models is expected as a consequence of the increasing particle density. While the K/π ratio is in line with predictions from the thermal model, the p/π ratio is found to be lower by a factor of about 1.5. This deviation from thermal model expectations is still to be understood.

Measurement of the cross section for electromagnetic dissociation with neutron emission in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s(NN)] = 2.76 TeV

The first measurement of neutron emission in electromagnetic dissociation of ^{208}Pb nuclei at the LHC is presented. The measurement is performed using the neutron zero degree calorimeters of the ALICE experiment, which detect neutral particles close to beam rapidity. The measured cross sections of single and mutual electromagnetic dissociation of Pb nuclei at sqrt[s(NN)]=2.76 TeV with neutron emission are σ(singleEMD)=187.4 ± 0.2(stat)(-11.2)(+13.2) (syst) b and σ(mutualEMD) = 5.7 ± 0.1(stat) ± 0.4(syst) b, respectively. The experimental results are compared to the predictions from a relativistic electromagnetic dissociation model.

Abstract P3-07-05: Bisphosphonate use after primary breast cancer and risk of contralateral breast cancer using pharmacy data

Background: It is not clear if bisphosphonates (BP) are associated with improved breast cancer prognosis in women with early breast cancer. Clinical trials have reported mixed results, yet BPs may be most beneficial in patients with low estrogen levels. However, BPs and risk of second (contralateral) breast cancer has been minimally studied. We examined the association of oral BP use (ever/never and duration) on risk of contralateral breast cancer (CBC) in 17,224 women with early stage breast cancer treated with tamoxifen.

Materials and Methods: A cohort was assembled of women diagnosed with their first primary breast cancer (Stage 0, I, II) from 1996 to 2007 on tamoxifen and followed through 31 December 2009 at Kaiser Permanente Northern and Southern California. Demographic, tumor, pharmacy, and cancer treatment information was extracted from electronic medical records and SEER-affiliated cancer registries at each site. Second (contralateral) tumors were identified from the cancer registries. Detailed information on oral BP use (before and after initial breast cancer diagnosis) was obtained from pharmacy databases. A record of &gt;90 days supply was considered the minimum exposure. Initiation and duration of post-diagnosis use was categorized as 1) non-use (≤90 days supply) and use (&gt;90 days supply) and 2) non-use (≤90 days supply), 91 days–&lt;1 year supply, 1-&lt;2 years supply, and ≥2 years supply. Delayed entry Cox regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) with BP use modeled as a time-varying covariate. Women were followed through CBC, health plan disenrollment, death, or end of study, whichever occurred first. We adjusted for age, stage and year of diagnosis; race/ethnicity; income; comorbidity; tumor factors; primary and adjuvant cancer treatments; previous BP use, and study site.

Results: Over a mean (SD) follow-up of 6.4 (6.3) years, 586 women (3.4%) were diagnosed with CBC after their initial breast cancer diagnosis. Around 19.2% (n = 3303) of the cohort used a BP post-initial breast cancer diagnosis (&gt;93% alendronate). To minimize confounding by indication, all models were adjusted for prior use of BPs before breast cancer diagnosis (n = 1047, 6.1%) and excluded women with prior 5-year history of osteopenia, osteoporosis, and fractures (n = 1808, 10.5%). Compared to non-users, ever use (&gt;90 days supply) was associated with a modestly lower CBC risk (HR = 0.80; 95% CI: 0.61, 1.16). However, stratified analyses by age at breast cancer diagnosis (&lt;50 years vs. ≥50 years) suggested lower risk among older women (HR = 0.80; 95% CI: 0.57, 1.12) compared with younger women (HR = 1.00; 95% CI: 0.39, 2.52). Increasing duration of use was not associated with CBC risk compared to non-use and possibly reflective of some residual confounding by indication: &lt;1 year (HR = 0.56; 95% CI: 0.30, 1.02), 1-&lt;2 years (HR = 0.99; 95% CI: 0.56, 1.72), ≥2 years (HR = 0.91; 95% CI: 0.58, 1.42).

Discussion: While we found modestly lower CBC risk with BP use after diagnosis of primary breast cancer, the protective effects were perhaps confined to older women compared with younger women. Next steps include adding BMD to further explore confounding by indication and examining BP use and breast cancer recurrence and mortality.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-07-05.

Early weaning increases intestinal permeability, alters expression of cytokine and tight junction proteins, and activates mitogen-activated protein kinases in pigs

Although weaning stress has been reported to impair intestinal barrier function, the mechanisms have not yet been elucidated. In the present study, the intestinal morphology and permeability and mRNA expressions of tight junction proteins and cytokines in the intestine of piglets during the 2 wk after weaning were assessed. The phosphorylated (activated) ratios of p38, c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK), and extracellular regulated kinases (ERK1/2) were determined to investigate whether mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways are involved in the early weaning process. A shorter villus and deeper crypt were observed on d 3 and 7 postweaning. Although damaged intestinal morphology recovered to preweaning values on d 14 postweaning, the intestinal mucosal barrier, which was reflected by transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) and paracellular flux of dextran (4 kDa) in the Ussing chamber and tight junction protein expression, was not recovered. Compared with the preweaning stage (d 0), jejunal TER and mRNA expressions of occludin and claudin-1 on d 3, 7, and 14 postweaning and Zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) mRNA on d 3 and 7 postweaning were reduced, and paracellular flux of dextran on d 3, 7, and 14 postweaning was increased. An increase (P < 0.05) of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) mRNA on d 3 and d 7 postweaning and an increase (P < 0.05) of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) mRNA on d 3 postweaning were observed compared with d 0. No significant increase of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) mRNA after weaning was observed. The phosphorylated (activated) ratios of JNK and p38 on d 3 and 7 postweaning and the phosphorylated ratio of ERK1/2 on d 3 postweaning were increased (P < 0.05) compared with d 0. The results indicated that early weaning induced sustained impairment in the intestinal barrier, decreased mRNA expression of tight junction proteins, and upregulated the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, but anti-inflammatory cytokines were not affected in the intestine of piglets. The recovery of the intestinal barrier function was slower than that of the intestinal mucosal morphology. The weaning stress activated MAPK signaling pathways in the intestine, which may be an important mechanism of weaning-associated enteric disorders of piglets.

Primary Leydig cell tumour of epididymis: a rare case report with review of literature

Leydig cell tumour (LCT) is an uncommon tumour that typically occurs in the testis. Primary epididymal LCT is extremely rare. To the best of our knowledge, only two cases have been reported in the world literature. Herein, we report a case of primary epididymal LCT in a 41-year-old Chinese male. The patient presented with right epididymal swelling for 3 months without endocrine manifestations, including gynaecomastia and decreased libido. Scrotal ultrasound demonstrated a mass about 1.5 cm in diameter entirely in the cephalic region of right epididymis. No abnormality was found in his bilateral testes. The patient underwent total mass resection without post-operative therapy. Histological examination revealed that the well-circumscribed tumour was separated by conspicuous hyalinised fibrous stroma; the tumour cells were large and polygonal with round nuclei and abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm. Immunophenotypically, the tumour cells expressed four markers of sex cord differentiation (calretinin, melanA, CD99 and inhibin). There was no recurrence at 2-year follow-up. Our observation once again confirms that LCT could primarily occur in the epididymis, and we suppose that it probably originates from the ectopic Leydig cells. As little is known about the pathogenesis and prognosis for such a rare disease, accumulation of more pathological and clinical data can help to better interpret this tumour.

MicroRNA-375, a new regulator of cadherin-7, suppresses the migration of chondrogenic progenitors

Endochondral bone formation requires a complex interplay among immature mesenchymal progenitor cells to form the cartilaginous anlagen, involving migration, aggregation and condensation. Even though condensation of chondrogenic progenitors is an essential step in this process, the mechanism(s) by which this occurs has not been well studied. Here, we investigated the involvement of microRNAs (miRNAs) in this process and found that the expression of miR-375 decreased upon chondrogenic differentiation of limb mesenchymal cells. Blockade of miR-375 via peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-based antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) increased the migration of chondrogenic progenitors, the formation of precartilage condensations and the expression level of cadherin-7. Furthermore, miR-375 was necessary and sufficient to down-regulate cell migration through negative regulation of cadherin-7 by the direct interaction with 3' UTR of cadherin-7. In addition, miR-375 is also involved in the cell migration and precartilage condensation mediated by p38MAPK, a positive signaling in the chondrogenic differentiation. Collectively, our results suggest that miR-375 negatively modulates cell migration and subsequent precartilage condensation by targeting cadherin-7.

Lipoprotein metabolism differs between Marek's disease susceptible and resistant chickens

Marek's disease (MD) is a lymphoproliferative disease of chickens caused by MD virus and has an important impact on the poultry industry worldwide. There have been reports showing different physiological characteristics between MD susceptible and resistant chickens. However, little is known about whether there are differences in lipid metabolism between MD susceptible and resistant lines of chickens. In this study, we examined the BW and the weight of tissues (abdominal fat, breast muscle with bone, leg muscle with bone, liver, and heart), the lipoprotein-cholesterol concentrations and distributions, and the plasma and tissue levels of adiponectin and its receptors in the highly resistant and susceptible lines during chicken growth. Our data showed that the increase in total cholesterol during growth was mainly due to the elevation of cholesterol in the low-density/very low-density lipoprotein fraction in MD susceptible chickens, whereas the increase of total cholesterol was mainly attributable to the increase in high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol in MD resistant chickens. Meanwhile, the MD resistant line appeared to have increased plasma adiponectin levels compared with MD susceptible chickens during growth. Taken together, our data suggested that lipoprotein-cholesterol and adiponectin metabolism are different between MD susceptible and resistant chickens.

Ligand Binding and Functional Properties of the Rat Somatostatin Receptor SSTR4 Stably Expressed in Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells

Somatostatin (SS14) is an important regulator of endocrine and brain function exerting its action after binding to high-affinity membrane receptor subtypes. Its diverse physiological activities include inhibition of hormone secretion from pituitary, pancreas, and gut. In the CNS, SS14 acting as a neurotransmitter/neuromodulator exerts inhibitory effects on neural function. Recently, three SS14 receptor genes, SSTR1, SSTR2, and SSTR3, have been cloned and characterized. We have cloned and characterized a novel fourth member of this gene family from a rat genomic library, SSTR4, which is expressed predominantly in neural tissue. When stably expressed in CHO-K1 cells, SSTR4 binds SS14 and SS28 with high affinity; however, the SS14 analogs SMS 201-995 and MK 678 failed to displace specific binding. High-affinity agonist binding was diminished by prior exposure to both GTPgammaS and pertussis toxin (PTX) but was not effected following agonist pretreatment, indicating that SSTR4 is coupled to a PTX-sensitive G-protein but does not desensitize. SSTR4 expressed in CHO cells is coupled by a PTX-sensitive G-protein to inhibition of adenylyl cyclase since treatment of transfected cells with SS14 resulted in the inhibition of forskolin-stimulated cAMP accumulation, an effect that was abolished by PTX treatment. The cloning of four SS14 receptor subtypes provide molecular probes for structure-function studies and for identifying those particular subtypes responsible for mediating the diverse physiological action of SS14.