Matrix metalloproteinase-9 polymorphism contributes to blood pressure and arterial stiffness in essential hypertension

Arterial stiffness is an independent predictor of cardiovascular events in a hypertensive population. Serum levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 are associated with arterial stiffness and predict cardiovascular risk. We investigated the role of MMP-9 polymorphism -1562C>T on blood pressure (BP) and arterial stiffness in a newly diagnosed hypertensive population. Untreated hypertensive patients (n=215, mean age 46+/-13 years) were studied. Supine BP, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index were assessed. Serum biochemistry and plasma MMP-9 concentrations were measured and genotyping performed following extraction of genomic DNA. BP, aortic PWV and serum MMP-9 levels were significantly higher in T-allele carriers of the -1562C>T polymorphism with a significant gene-dose effect (P<0.0001). In a stepwise regression model adjusting for known or likely determinants, the 1562C>T polymorphism emerged as an independent predictor of systolic BP (R(2)=0.25, P<0.0001), diastolic BP (R(2)=0.16, P<0.0001) and PWV (R(2)=0.47,P<0.0001). This is the first study to show the effect of MMP-9 polymorphism on BP and aortic stiffness in a hypertensive population. These results suggest that hypertensive patients carrying the T allele may be at increased risk of cardiovascular events.

Initial safety and efficacy results of erlotinib in previously treated patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

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Background: Erlotinib is an orally available selective HER1/EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor. In the BR.21 trial, erlotinib significantly improved survival and quality of life in non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) patients (pts). The study evaluated the initial efficacy and safety of erlotinib in previously treated advanced or metastatic NSCLC patients in Shanghai, China. Methods: Eligibility criteria included stage IIIb/IV or recurrent NSCLC pts who failed from prior chemotherapy, PS = 0–2, weight loss less than 5%, and no urgent symptoms. Pts received oral erlotinib 150 mg po/day until objective or symptomatic progression. Results: 50 pts were enrolled from Oct 1 to Sept 30. Demographics: M 68%/F 32%; median age 55 y [range 28–68]; stage IV 86%; PS 0/1/2:2 (4%)/44 (88%)/4 (8%); adenocarcinoma/non-adenocarcinoma 39 (78%)/11 (22%); smoking status: 26 (52%) /no 24 (48%). The major toxicity was rash: 48 (96%), 10 (20%) of them are grade 3/4; other toxicity included grade 1/2 diahhrea: 5 (10%); grade 1/2 liver dysfunction: 4 (8%); grade 2 leucocytopenia: 2 (4%); grade 1 thrombocytopenia: 1(2%); fatigue and dyspnea. 3 patients discontinued for dyspnea, pneumonitis and fatigue respectively. No pts had pulmonary fibrosis and dose reduction. 47 pts were followed long enough for efficacy evaluation, which indentified 18 (38%) with PR, 21 (45%) with SD, 8 (17%) with PD. Subgroup analysis showed the resposes to erlotinib have no relation with gender, age, smoking status, performance status, histology and stages, however, significant difference existed in the subgroup patients with severe rash and less symptoms such as dyspnea and fatigue ( Table 1 ). Conclusions: Erlotinib is active and well tolerated in patients with advanced NSCLC failed to previously chemotherapy. Preliminary results suggest patients with severe rash, less dyspnea and fatigue are accociated with better response. The study in ongoing. Table 1 Response of erlotinib in advanced treated NSCLC pts. * P values less than 0.05.

[Table: see text]

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Expressionn of ERCC1 and its influence on efficacy of induction chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

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Background: Chemotherapy efficacy is related to pharmacogenomic differences among NSCLC patients. It is thought that up-regulated ERCC1 may be responsible for platinum resistance in NSCLC.This study was to investigate expression of ERCC1 in Chinese NSCLC patients and determine its influence on efficacy of induction chemotherapy. Methods: We retrospectively compared expression of ERCC1 between NSCLC patients receiving and not receiving induction chemotherapy. Expression of ERCC1 was detected with immunohistochemistry and defined as positive if more than 10% of tumor cells expressed ERCC1 in their nuclei. Results: Consecutive 73 NSCLC patients resected from December 1997 to Feb.1998 in our hospital were randomly selected for the study. Among them, 33 patients were given 1 to 2 cycles of cisplatin-based induction chemotherapy (mainly MVP as regimen) and their characteristics were not different from those receiving no chemotherapy. Expression of ERCC1 was higher in those younger than 60 years old than older than 60 years, in those with adenocarcinoma than in those with squamous carcinoma and in those receiving induction chemotherapy than those not receiving chemotherapy. Response (and progression) rates of induction chemotherapy were 59% (6%) and 31% (19%) in those without and with ERCC1 expression, respectively. Median survival, 3 year survival, and 5 year survival were 54 months, 53% and 35% in the patients with negative ERCC1 and 36 months, 50% and 25% in those with positive ERCC1, respectively. Difference in response rate of induction chemotherapy tended to be significant between those with and with expression of ERCC1( P<0.1). Conclusions: ERCC1 is expressed in Chinese NSCLC patients. Its expression might be induced by chemotherapy. ERCC1 in NSCLC might be useful to select patients for induction chemotherapy, which needs further study.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

System size and energy dependence of jet-induced hadron pair correlation shapes in Cu+Cu and Au+Au collisions at square root sNN=200 and 62.4 GeV

We present azimuthal angle correlations of intermediate transverse momentum (1-4 GeV/c) hadrons from dijets in Cu+Cu and Au+Au collisions at square root sNN=62.4 and 200 GeV. The away-side dijet induced azimuthal correlation is broadened, non-Gaussian, and peaked away from Delta phi=pi in central and semicentral collisions in all the systems. The broadening and peak location are found to depend upon the number of participants in the collision, but not on the collision energy or beam nuclei. These results are consistent with sound or shock wave models, but pose challenges to Cherenkov gluon radiation models.

J/psi production versus transverse momentum and rapidity in p+p collisions at square root s=200 GeV

J/psi production in p+p collisions at square root s=200 GeV has been measured by the PHENIX experiment at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider over a rapidity range of -2.2<y<2.2 and a transverse momentum range of 0<pT<9 GeV/c. The size of the present data set allows a detailed measurement of both the pT and the rapidity distributions and is sufficient to constrain production models. The total cross section times the branching ratio is Bll sigma pp J/psi=178+/-3stat+/-53sys+/-18norm nb.

J/psi production versus centrality, transverse momentum, and rapidity in Au+Au collisions at square root sNN=200 GeV

The PHENIX experiment at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) has measured J/psi production for rapidities -2.2<y<2.2 in Au+Au collisions at square root sNN=200 GeV. The J/psi invariant yield and nuclear modification factor RAA as a function of centrality, transverse momentum, and rapidity are reported. A suppression of J/psi relative to binary collision scaling of proton-proton reaction yields is observed. Models which describe the lower energy J/psi data at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron invoking only J/psi destruction based on the local medium density predict a significantly larger suppression at RHIC and more suppression at midrapidity than at forward rapidity. Both trends are contradicted by our data.

Scaling properties of azimuthal anisotropy in Au+Au and Cu+Cu Collisions at sqrt[s NN]=200 GeV

Differential measurements of elliptic flow (v2) for Au+Au and Cu+Cu collisions at sqrt[sNN]=200 GeV are used to test and validate predictions from perfect fluid hydrodynamics for scaling of v2 with eccentricity, system size, and transverse kinetic energy (KE T). For KE T identical with mT-m up to approximately 1 GeV the scaling is compatible with hydrodynamic expansion of a thermalized fluid. For large values of KE T mesons and baryons scale separately. Quark number scaling reveals a universal scaling of v2 for both mesons and baryons over the full KE T range for Au+Au. For Au+Au and Cu+Cu the scaling is more pronounced in terms of KE T, rather than transverse momentum.

Evidence for a long-range component in the pion emission source in Au+Au collisions at sqrt sNN=200 GeV

Emission source functions are extracted from correlation functions constructed from charged pions produced at midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=200 GeV. The source parameters extracted from these functions at low k(T) give first indications of a long tail for the pion emission source. The source extension cannot be explained solely by simple kinematic considerations. The possible role of a halo of secondary pions from resonance emissions is explored.

Efficiency of eight different AAV serotypes in transducing rat myocardium in vivo

Recombinant adeno-associated (AAV) viruses have unique properties, which make them ideal vectors for gene transfer targeting the myocardium. Numerous serotypes of AAV have been identified with variable tropisms towards cardiac tissue. In the present study, we investigated the time course of expression of eight different AAV serotypes in rat myocardium and the nature of the immunity against these serotypes. We first assessed whether neutralizing antibodies (NAb) were present for any of the serotype in the rats. We injected 100 microl of each AAV 1-8 serotype (10(12) DNAse resistant particles/ml), encoding LacZ gene, into the apical wall of rat myocardium. At 1, 4, 12 and 24 weeks after gene delivery, the animals were killed and beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) activity was assessed by luminometry. Additionally, LacZ genomic copies and AAV capsids copies were measured through standard polymerase chain reaction analysis and cryo-sections from the area of viral injection were stained for X-gal detection at the same time points. No NAbs were detected against any of AAV serotypes. At all the time points studied, AAV1, 6 and 8 demonstrated the highest efficiency in transducing rat hearts in vivo. Parallel to the results with beta-gal activity, the highest levels LacZ and AAV DNA genomic copies were with AAV1, 6 and 8. The positive X-gal staining depicted by these serotypes confirmed these results. These results indicate that among the various AAV serotypes, AAV1, 6 and 8 have differential tropism for the heart unaffected by pre-existing NAb in the rat. Although AAV 1 and 6 vectors induced rapid and robust expression and reach a plateau at 4 weeks, AAV 8 continued increasing until the end of the study. AAV 2, 5 and 7 vectors were slower to induce expression of the reporter gene, but did reach levels of expression comparable to AAV1 and AAV6 vectors after 3 months.

Precision measurements of the nucleon strange form factors at Q2 approximately 0.1 GeV2

We report new measurements of the parity-violating asymmetry A(PV) in elastic scattering of 3 GeV electrons off hydrogen and 4He targets with <theta(lab)> approximately 6.0 degrees . The 4He result is A(PV)=(+6.40+/-0.23(stat)+/-0.12(syst))x10(-6). The hydrogen result is A(PV)=(-1.58+/-0.12(stat)+/-0.04(syst))x10(-6). These results significantly improve constraints on the electric and magnetic strange form factors G(E)(s) and G(M)(s). We extract G(E)(s)=0.002+/-0.014+/-0.007 at <Q(2)>=0.077 GeV2, and G(E)(s)+0.09G(M)(s)=0.007+/-0.011+/-0.006 at <Q(2)>=0.109 GeV2, providing new limits on the role of strange quarks in the nucleon charge and magnetization distributions.

Purification and Characterization of a 4-Hydroxybenzoate Decarboxylase from Chlamydophila pneumoniae AR39

Chlamydophila pneumoniae AR39 is an obligate intracellular pathogen that causes human acute and chronic respiratory tract diseases. One protein from C. pneumoniae AR39 was assigned as 4-hydroxybenzoate decarboxylase (HBDC). Assays done with the purified oxygen-sensitive protein showed that the optimum pH and temperature were 7.5 and 30 degrees C, respectively. The Km and Vmax obtained for 4-hydroxybenzoate were approximately 0.21 mM and 11.9 nM min(-1) mg(-1), respectively. During the period of 4-hydroxybenzoate decarboxylation, overall activity of the thermal-sensitive protein was 5.06 nM min(-1) mg(-1) protein. The 4-hydroxybenzoate decarboxylation was promoted by Mg(2+), Fe(2+), Mn(2+), and Ca(2+) but not by Cu(2+) or Zn(2+). The enzyme also slowly catalyzed the reverse reaction, which was phenol carboxylation.

Measurement of direct photon production in p+p collisions at sqrt[s] = 200 GeV

Cross sections for midrapidity production of direct photons in p+p collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) are reported for transverse momenta of 3 < pT < 16 GeV/c. Next-to-leading order perturbative QCD (pQCD) describes the data well for pT >5 GeV/c, where the uncertainties of the measurement and theory are comparable. We also report on the effect of requiring the photons to be isolated from parton jet energy. The observed fraction of isolated photons is well described by pQCD for pT >7 GeV/c.

Measurement of high-pT single electrons from heavy-flavor decays in p + p collisions at square root of s = 200 GeV

The momentum distribution of electrons from decays of heavy flavor (charm and bottom) for midrapidity absolute value of y < 0.35 in p + p collisions at square root of s = 200 GeV has been measured by the PHENIX experiment at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider over the transverse momentum range 0.3 < pT < 9 GeV/c. Two independent methods have been used to determine the heavy-flavor yields, and the results are in good agreement with each other. A fixed-order-plus-next-to-leading-log perturbative QCD calculation agrees with the data within the theoretical and experimental uncertainties, with the data/theory ratio of 1.71+/-0.02stat+/-0.18sys for 0.3 < pT < 9 GeV/c. The total charm production cross section at this energy has also been deduced to be sigma cc = 567+/-57stat+/-193sys microb.

Fermentation of 12% (w/v) glucose to 1.2 M lactate by Escherichia coli strain SZ194 using mineral salts medium

A non-recombinant mutant of Escherichia coli B, strain SZ194, was developed that produces over 1 M D-lactate from glucose (or sucrose) in 72 h using mineral salts medium supplemented with 1 mM: betaine in simple anaerobic fermentations. Rates and yields were highest at pH 7.5. Yields approached the theoretical maximum with only trace amounts of co-products. Chiral purity of D-lactate was estimated to be 95%. Specific and volumetric productivities for SZ194 in mineral salts medium (pH 7.5) with betaine were equivalent to those in Luria broth.