P3567Genetic screening for monogenic hypertension in hypertensive individuals in a clinical setting

Objectives

Monogenic hypertension describes a series of hypertension syndromes inherited by Mendelian law and present with complex phenotypes.

Methods

1179 cases with monogenic hypertension potential were evaluated by sequencing 37 causative genes. Pathogenic variants were classified by using American College of Medical Genetics guidelines. Additionally, 49 variants of unknown significance were selected to receive functional analysis. The yield of combined genetic and functional analysis was evaluated.

Results

21 deleterious variants were identified in 33 of 1179 (2.80%). Functional analysis for 49 unknown significant variants showed 32 variants harbored by 61 individuals led to abnormally expressed protein levels. Overall, combining genetic screening with functional analysis promoted diagnostic yield to 8.73%. The main etiology established was primary aldosteronism, with CACNA1H harboring the greatest mutation burden. Logistic regression analysis showed hypertension complicated with special manifestations had the strongest correlation with disease causing variants detection (p=0.03).

Sequencing Results Summary Number of variants Number of individuals* Percentage† Individuals with no variant 0 524 44.44% Individuals with variants identified 592 655 55.56% Individuals with single contributing variant 297 480 40.71% Individuals with two or multiple contributing variants 295 175 14.84% Number of variants identified   Pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants 21 33 2.80%   Variants of unknown significance 570 634 53.77%   Benign or likely benign variants 1 1 0.08% Type of variant   Frameshift deletion 8 15 1.27%   Frameshift insertion 5 5 0.42%   Nonframeshift deletion 10 10 0.85%   Nonframeshift insertion 6 12 1.02%   Nonsynonymous SNV 546 607 51.48%   Stopgain SNV 18 30 2.54% WES, whole-exome sequencing. *The statistics in this table was based on 1179 individuals. †The percentage was calculated by the number of individuals in each category.

A flow chart of this study.

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrate an enhanced diagnostic ability by combining genetic analysis with functional evaluation and enables targeted treatment and prevention of hypertension.

Acknowledgement/Funding

This work was supported by National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program, 2014CB542300, 2014CB542302).

P2875Comparison between ejection fraction, global longitudinal strain, mechanical dispersion and delta contraction duration in predicting first and subsequent arrhythmic events in ICD patients

Background

According to current guidelines, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is currently the most important parameter for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death in patients with structural heart disease. Unfortunately, LVEF has low sensitivity in detecting arrhythmic events and presents a significant intra- and inter-operator variability. For these reasons, alternative predictors in patients with structural heart disease are being sought. Among those, speckle-tracking derived parameters such as global longitudinal strain (GLS), mechanical dispersion (MD), and delta contraction duration (DCD) have been proposed as better alternatives.

Purpose

To assess speckle-tracking derived parameters as predictors of first and subsequent arrhythmic events in implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) patients with structural heart disease, and to compare their performance with LVEF.

Methods

Prospective, observational study enrolling all consecutive patients with structural heart disease admitted for an ICD implant. Patients not followed by a home-monitoring system were excluded. 2D speckle-tracking analysis was used to derive GLS, MD, and DCD of all patients at enrolment. Home monitoring was checked weekly in order to detect all ventricular arrhythmias (VA) and ICD therapies. A recurrent-event statistical approach (Prentice, Williams, and Peterson model) was applied in order to evaluate subsequent events after the first ones.

Results

Two-hundred-and-three patients were consecutively enrolled and followed-up for a median follow-up of 2.2 years. Kaplan-Meier curves showed an increased risk of ATP or shock (Log-rank p=0.003) and VAs (Log-rank p=0.001) associated with lower quartiles of GLS (Figure 1). An impaired GLS was independently associated with an increased risk for the first ICD therapy (HR 1.94; 95% CI 1.30–2.91; p=0.001), and for the first VA (HR 1.42; 95% CI 1.01–1.98; p=0.04). GLS impairment was not significantly associated with an increased risk of recurrent ICD therapies or VAs. LVEF, MD and DCD were not associated with an increased risk of first, second and third ICD therapy or VA.

Conclusions

Impaired GLS is associated with an increased risk of VAs and appropriate ICD therapies in a consecutive, “real-world”, unselected population of remote-monitored patients with structural heart disease, although it does not seem reliable in predicting further arrhythmic event after the first one. LVEF, MD, and DCD do not predict first or subsequent arrhythmic events in ICD patients with structural heart disease.

Acknowledgement/Funding

Marche Polytechnic University

Double benefits of mechanical wounding in enhancing chilling tolerance and lodging resistance in wheat plants

Chilling and lodging are major threats to wheat production. However, strategies that can be used to effectively mitigate the adverse effects of these threats are still far from clear. Mechanical wounding is a traditional agronomic measure, whereas information about the role it plays in wheat chilling and lodging is scant. The aim of the present study was to investigate mechanisms underlying the protective roles of mechanical wounding in alleviating damage from chilling at jointing stage and enhancing lodging resistance after anthesis of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Our data show that net photosynthesis rate, maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II, activity of the antioxidant enzymes and osmolytes were significantly increased in the latest fully expanded leaves of wounded plants under chilling. Wounding also reduced hydrogen peroxide accumulation, electrolyte leakage and water loss in wounded plants. Moreover, mechanical wounding significantly reduced the length but increased the diameter and wall thickness of the basal second internode of the main stem. Quantitative and histochemical analysis further indicated that wounding increased lignin accumulation and activity of enzymes involved in lignin synthesis, which resulted in increased mechanical strength and the lodging resistance index in the main stem. We conclude from our data that mechanical wounding confers both cold tolerance by alleviating the damage caused by chilling at jointing stage and lodging resistance after anthesis of wheat plants.

First principle study on the predicted phase transition of MN (M = Zr, La and Th)

First principle (FP) calculations were performed to systematically study the structural properties of ZrN, LaN and ThN with GGA correction. The ground state properties, wave velocities and Debye temperature of B1, P6₃/mmc, Pnma and B2 phase in ZrN, LaN and ThN were investigated and agree well with other theoretical and experimental results. More importantly, some novel phases are predicted in these materials, i.e. with the increasing pressure the phase transition sequence in ZrN and ThN is found to be B1  →  P6₃/mmc  →  B2 phase, while in LaN, the sequence of B1  →  Pnma  →  B2 is observed. Furthermore, our calculated elastic properties also confirm the prediction of phase transition under high pressure. These phase transitions arise from the optical phonon softening of B1 at around X, M and G points of Brillouin zone and P6₃/mmc (or Pnma) structure at around G, and H-K points.

Diagonal nematicity in the pseudogap phase of HgBa2CuO4+δ

The pseudogap phenomenon in the cuprates is arguably the most mysterious puzzle in the field of high-temperature superconductivity. The tetragonal cuprate HgBa₂CuO_4+δ, with only one CuO₂ layer per primitive cell, is an ideal system to tackle this puzzle. Here, we measure the magnetic susceptibility anisotropy within the CuO₂ plane with exceptionally high-precision magnetic torque experiments. Our key finding is that a distinct two-fold in-plane anisotropy sets in below the pseudogap temperature T^*, which provides thermodynamic evidence for a nematic phase transition with broken four-fold symmetry. Surprisingly, the nematic director orients along the diagonal direction of the CuO₂ square lattice, in sharp contrast to the bond nematicity along the Cu-O-Cu direction. Another remarkable feature is that the enhancement of the diagonal nematicity with decreasing temperature is suppressed around the temperature at which short-range charge-density-wave formation occurs. Our result suggests a competing relationship between diagonal nematic and charge-density-wave order in HgBa₂CuO_4+δ.

Effects of compound porcine cerebroside and ganglioside on neurotoxicity caused by oxaliplatin chemotherapy: preliminary results

OBJECTIVE

Oxaliplatin has shown good anti-tumour activity in the treatment of tumours involving the digestive system. However, its application is limited because of severe neurotoxicity in some patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether compound porcine cerebroside and ganglioside (CPCG) can reduce or prevent oxaliplatin-induced neurotoxicity.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with digestive system tumour who received oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy were retrospectively divided into experimental and control groups according to the receipt of CPCG during chemotherapy. Adverse events at the end of each chemotherapy cycle were recorded. We compared the incidence of neurotoxicity between the two groups and graded the neurotoxicity symptoms using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v5.0.

RESULTS

The study included 115 patients (experimental group, 57; control group, 58). The number of chemotherapy cycles (6.65 vs. 6.41, p=0.540) and oxaliplatin dose (775.92 mg/m2 vs. 724.20 mg/m2, p=0.250) were comparable between the two groups. All patients developed grade 1 to 3 neurotoxicity; grade 4-5 neurotoxicity was not observed. The incidence of neurotoxicity and the probability of advanced neurotoxicity were significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group (p<0.05). After a 6 to 18 months follow-up, the two groups showed no significant differences in the chemotherapy response and recurrence rate (p=0.846).

CONCLUSIONS

CPCG reduces oxaliplatin-induced neurotoxicity without reducing the efficacy of oxaliplatin-based regimens; thus, it can be used for preventing oxaliplatin-induced neurotoxicity in patients with cancer.

A new multi-channel Mach probe measuring the radial ion flow velocity profile in the boundary plasma of the W7-X stellarator

Ion flow velocity measurement in the edge and scraper-off layer region is beneficial to understand the confinement related phenomenon in fusion devices such as impurity transport and plays an important role in impurity control. During the Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) operation phase 1.2a, a multi-channel (MC) Mach probe mounted on the multi-purpose manipulator has been used to measure radial profiles of edge ion flow velocity. This MC-Mach probe consists of two polar and two radial arrays of directional Langmuir pins (28 pins in total) serving for different aims, of which the polar arrays could obtain a polar distribution of ion saturation current, while the radial arrays can be used to study the dynamic process of a radially propagated event. In this paper, we report the observation of the radially outward propagation of a low frequency mode with a speed of around 200 m/s. The first measurement of the radial ion flow velocity profile using the MC-Mach probe in the boundary plasma of the W7-X with an island divertor will also be presented.

Electronic structure of multiferroic BiFeO3: Electron energy-loss spectroscopy and first-principles study

The electronic structure of BiFeO₃ has been investigated by using electron energy loss spectrum and first-principle calculations. Assignments of the individual interband transitions have been accomplished by comparing the interband transition energy with the calculated PDOS. The DOS is mainly divided into two regions, the hybridized region of O 2p with Fe 3p in the valence band and that of O 2p hybridized with Bi 6p in the conduction band. From the simulation of high energy-loss near-edge structure, the core-hole effect is believed to be more significant. The feature groups for the experimental spectra of O K-edge and Fe L_2,3-edge are consistent with simulation results.

Circ_0009910 regulates growth and metastasis and is associated with poor prognosis in gastric cancer

OBJECTIVE

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have recently shown capabilities as gene regulators in mammals. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects and mechanism of circ_0009910 in gastric cancer (GC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Circ_0009910 expression was quantified by Real-time PCR in human GC cell lines and tissues. Association between circ_0009910 levels and clinicopathological factors and patient's prognosis was analyzed. The roles of circ_0009910 in regulating GC cell proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion were evaluated in vitro. Western blot analysis was conducted to detect the expressions of molecular markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).

RESULTS

Circ_0009910 expression level was elevated in GC tissues and cell lines and associated with clinical stage (p = 0.032), distant metastasis (p = 0.028) and differentiation (p = 0.007). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that circ_0009910 expression in positive group has a worse overall survival compared to the negative group (p = 0.0013). Multivariate analysis showed that circ_0009910 was an independent risk factor for GC (HR = 2.346, 95% CI: 1.673-3.775, p = 0.006). Knockdown of circ_0009910 expression can suppress BGC823 and AGS cells proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro experiments. The results of Western blot indicated that knockdown of circ_0009910 increased expression of E-cadherin and decreased expression of the mesenchymal markers, snail and N-cadherin.

CONCLUSIONS

Altogether, we demonstrate that circ_0009910 acts as a prognostic biomarker and promote cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT in GC, indicating that circ_0009910 may be a novel potential biomarker and therapeutic target of GC.

[Clinical features and risk factors of surgical complications after intersphincteric resection for low rectal cancer following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy]

Objective: To explore clinical features and prognosis factors of surgical complications after intersphincteric resection (ISR) for low rectal cancer following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Methods: The clinical data of 132 patients with low rectal cancer who underwent ISR following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy from September 2010 to June 2017 at Department of Colorectal Surgery, Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University were retrospectively reviewed. There were 100 males and 32 females, with the age of (52.9±11.4) years and distance to anal verge of 3.9 cm. Records of perioperative complication (POC) within 30 days after surgery, anastomotic leakage (AL), and anastomotic stenosis (AS) were analyzed. POC was recorded according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. AL was graded by ISREC system and classified into the early AL within 30 days after surgery and delayed AL beyond 30 days. AS was defined as narrowing of the bowel lumen at the anastomosis that prevented passage through a colonoscope with a 12 mm diameter. According to the shape of narrowing, AS was recorded as the stenosis in situ or stenosis with long-segment bowel above. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to identify risk factors of anastomotic complications. Results: Among the 132 patients, full-dose radiotherapy and diverting stoma were performed in 128 (97.0%) patients, respectively. In entire cohort, AL was found in 41 (31.1%) patients, including 32 patients with clinical leakage (24.2%). The median time for diagnosis of AL was 37 days (2 to 214 days) after surgery. There were 25 patients (18.9%) who were diagnosed with delayed AL beyond 30 days. Chronic presacral sinus formation was detected in 22 of 129 (17.1%) patients at 12 months from surgery. Among the 128 eligible patients, 36 (28.1%) were diagnosed as AS, including 24 (18.8%) patients with stenosis in situ and 12 (9.4%) patients with bowel stenosis above. After a median follow-up of 26 months, 7(5.3%) patients received permanent colostomy and the other 20(15.2%) patients retained a persistent ileostomy, owing to anastomotic complications. Results of multivariate analysis showed that radiation colitis was an independent prognosis factor of AL after ISR (OR=5.04, 95% CI: 2.05 to 12.43, P=0.000); male gender (OR=5.19, 95% CI: 1.24 to 21.75, P=0.024) and AL (OR=8.49, 95% CI: 3.32 to 21.70, P=0.000) were independent prognosis factors of AS after ISR. Conclusions: Surgical complications are common after ISR for low rectal cancer patients with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. A high rate of AL is observed after long-term follow-up, which is associated with AS. Increasing awareness of anastomotic complications after ISR should be raised, especially for male patients with radiation colitis.

External Validation of Equations that Use Demographic and Anthropometric Measurements to Predict Percent Body Fat

OBJECTIVE

Numerous equation to predict percent body fat using demographics and anthropometrics have been published but external validation of these equations is limited. The objective of this study was to validate published equations that use anthropometrics for prediction of percent body fat using external data.

METHODS

Data were from the Visceral Fat, Metabolic Rate, and Coronary Heart Disease Risk I (VIM I) Study and the Fels Longitudinal Study (Fels). VIM I was conducted in a subset of subjects from the CARDIA study and included black and white adults 28-40 years (n = 392). Fels consisted of white participants 8-88 years (n = 1,044). Percent body fat assessed by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in these two studies was compared to results calculated using 13 equations from Stevens et al. and nine other published equations.

RESULTS

In general, the Stevens equations performed better than equations from other studies. For example, equation "I" in women in VIM I, Fels adults, and Fels youth, R2 estimates were 0.765, 0.757 and 0.789, respectively. In men the estimates were 0.702 in VIM I, 0.822 in Fels adults and 0.905 in Fels youth. None of the results from the nine published equations showed R2 this high in corresponding groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that several of the Stevens equations have external validity superior to that of nine other published equations among varying age groups, genders and races.

Systematic Analysis of Gene Expression Alteration and Co-Expression Network of Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 4A-3 in Cancer

Purpose: Eukaryotic initiation factor 4A-3 (EIF4A3) is an RNA-binding protein (RBP) that is a core component of the exon junction complex (EJC). It has been identified as an important player in post-transcriptional regulation processes. Recently, investigations have focused on EIF4A3 dysfunction in carcinogenesis. The present study aims to determine whether EIF4A3 can serve as a prognostic marker and potential regulatory mechanism in human cancers. Materials and methods: EIF4A3 expression in various cancers was assessed using Oncomine. The Correlation between EIF4A3 expression and patient survival was evaluated using PrognoScan. EIF4A3 mutations in various cancers were investigated using cBioPortal. EIF4A3 co-expression networks in various cancers were established using Coexpedia. Finally, we analyzed potential functional roles of EIF4A3 using Gene Ontology and pathway enrichment analyses by FunRich V3. Results: EIF4A3 was overexpressed in common malignancies at the transcription levels. High incidences of the breast, lung, and urinary cancers were closely related to the prognostic index for survival. The most prevalent mutation in EIF4A3 was E59K/Q. The tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway was affected by these mutations. Co-expression networks showed that EIF4A3 regulates apoptosis and cell cycle via several cancer-related signal pathways, and promotes tumor cell migration, invasion and drug resistance. Conclusion: Our results suggest the potential role for EIF4A3 to serve as a diagnostic marker or therapeutic target for certain types of cancers.

Effect and mechanism of hyaluronic acid on the neurotoxic injury of lidocaine

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is used to aid tissue repair and is a characterized inhibitor of TRPV1 channels. In this study, we investigated the effects of HA on lidocaine induced neurotoxicity and its mechanism of action. U87-MG cells with low (U87-MG-shTRPV1) or high (U87-MG-TRPV1) TRPV1 expression were studied. The control group was treated with lidocaine. The experimental group was treated with lidocaine and HA. Flow cytometry was used to assess the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+] i) and cell apoptosis. Cell viability was detected by MTT assays. Compared to the control group, [Ca2+]i of U87-MG-TRPV1 and U87-MG cells were lower at T3, T4 and T5 (p < 0.05), apoptosis rates of U87-MG and U87-MG-TRPV1 cells were lower (p<0.05), and the cell viability of U87-MG and U87-MG-TRPV1 cells were higher in the experimental group (p<0.05). HA reduces the toxic damage of lidocaine through blocking Ca2+ influx through TRPV1 channels, preventing Ca2+ overload, leading to nerve cell protection.

Quantum Interference of Glory Rescattering in Strong-Field Atomic Ionization

During the ionization of atoms irradiated by linearly polarized intense laser fields, we find for the first time that the transverse momentum distribution of photoelectrons can be well fitted by a squared zeroth-order Bessel function because of the quantum interference effect of glory rescattering. The characteristic of the Bessel function is determined by the common angular momentum of a number of semiclassical paths termed as glory trajectories, which are launched with different nonzero initial transverse momenta distributed on a specific circle in the momentum plane and finally deflected to the same asymptotic momentum, which is along the polarization direction, through post-tunneling rescattering. Glory rescattering theory based on the semiclassical path-integral formalism is developed to address this effect quantitatively. Our theory can resolve the long-standing discrepancies between existing theories and experiments on the fringe location, predict the sudden transition of the fringe structure in holographic patterns, and shed light on the quantum interference aspects of low-energy structures in strong-field atomic ionization.

Diet quality and its association with type 2 diabetes and major cardiometabolic risk factors among adults in China

AIM

We examined the association between diet quality and diabetes and major cardiometabolic risks among adults in China.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We developed the China Dietary Guideline Index (CDGI) based on the 2007 Chinese dietary guidelines and tailored the Alternate Healthy Eating Index 2010 (which we call the tAHEI) to assess diet quality. Our analysis linked the dietary intake and covariates measured in 2006 with CM risk factors measured in 2009. We used diet data the longitudinal China Health and Nutrition Survey 2006 collected in 3 consecutive 24-h recalls from 4440 adults aged 18 to 65 to calculate both the tAHEI and the CDGI scores. We performed multivariable logistic regressions to analyze the association of each 2006 score with diabetes, abdominal obesity, elevated blood pressure, and lipid-related cardiometabolic risk factors in 2009. After we adjusted for potential confounders, adults in the top quintile compared with the bottom quintile of the tAHEI scores showed 36% lower odds of high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (odds ratio [OR] 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.46, 0.90] in men and 33% lower odds (OR 0.67; 95% CI 0.49, 0.91) in women, while the CDGI scores showed 35% lower odds of high LDL-C (OR 0.65; 95% CI 0.46, 0.92) in men only. Further, the CDGI scores indicated 55% lower odds of diabetes in the top versus the bottom quintile (OR 0.45; 95% CI 0.23, 0.87) in men only, whereas a null association was observed for the tAHEI scores for both sexes. Both index scores showed null associations with other cardiometabolic risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Chinese diets that scored high on both the CDGI and the tAHEI showed similarly negative associations with high LDL-C risk, whereas only CDGI score was negatively related to diabetes risk in men.

Faecal carriage of optrA-positive enterococci in asymptomatic healthy humans in Hangzhou, China

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the faecal carriage of optrA-positive enterococci among asymptomatic healthy humans in Hangzhou, China, and to characterize the genetic context of optrA.

METHODS

A total of 3458 stool samples from healthy individuals were collected and cultured on a selective medium containing 10 mg/L florfenicol and resulting enterococci were screened for the presence of optrA by PCR. OptrA variants were determined by amino acid sequence comparison with the original OptrA from Enterococcus faecalis E349. Whole genome sequencing and PCR mapping were performed to obtain and analyse the genetic environment of optrA.

RESULTS

Similar optrA carriage rates (∼3.5%) were detected in samples from adults (55/1558) and children (66/1900). Linezolid resistance rates for E. faecalis, Enterococcus faecium and other Enterococcus species were 58.5% (38/65), 42.3% (11/26) and 0% (0/31), respectively. Nineteen OptrA variants exhibiting different linezolid MICs were identified. Isolates carrying wild-type OptrA and variants RDK, KLDP, KD, D, RDKP, and EDP generally demonstrated linezolid MICs ≥8 mg/L. The OptrA variants, with fexA upstream and erm(A) downstream, were flanked by IS1216E at one or both ends. The fexA-optrA(wild-type) was located downstream of a Tn554 transposon, and was inserted into the radC gene. The EDM variant was detected in 31/73 enterococci with linezolid MICs ≤4 mg/L. Despite the variable genetic context, Tn558-araC-optrA(EDM)-erm(A)-met was the most common gene array.

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed a correlation between linezolid MIC, genetic context and OptrA variant. Intestinal colonization of healthy individuals by optrA-positive enterococci is a concern, and active epidemiological surveillance of optrA is warranted.

The associations between anthropometric measurements and left ventricular structure and function: the Echo-SOL Study

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to determine associations between anthropometry and echocardiographic measures of cardiac structure and function in Hispanic/Latinos.

METHODS

A total of 1,824 participants from ECHO-SOL were included. We evaluated associations between echocardiographic measures of left ventricular structure and function and anthropometric measures using multivariable-adjusted linear and logistic regression models adjusting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

RESULTS

The mean age was 56 ± 0.17 years, 57% were women. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 30 ± 9.4 kg m-2, waist circumference (WC) was 100 ± 18 cm, and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) was 0.93 ± 0.15. Adjusted analysis showed that 5-unit increment in BMI and 5-cm increase in WC was associated with 3.4 ± 0.6 and 1.05 ± 0.05 g m-2.7 (p < 0.05 for both) higher left ventricular (LV) mass index, respectively. Similarly, 0.1-unit increment in WHR was associated with 2.0 ± 0.16 g m-2.7 higher LV mass index (p < 0.01). WHR was associated with 0.22 ± 0.08% decrease in ejection fraction (p < 0.05). Concomitantly, 5-unit increment in BMI and WC was associated with increased odds of abnormal LV geometry (odds ratio 1.40 and 1.16, p = 0.03 and <0.01, respectively); 0.1-unit increment in WHR was associated with increased odds of abnormal LV geometry (odds ratio 1.51, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Among Hispanic/Latinos, higher anthropometric measures were associated with adverse cardiac structure and function.

[Treatment for peritoneal metastasis of colorectal cancer]

Peritoneal metastasis is the second leading cause of death of colorectal cancer patients. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) combined with hyperthermia intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is the primary method to treat peritoneal metastasis of colorectal cancer, though there remain some controversies. We reviewed current studies of colorectal peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) and CRS+ HIPEC, and discussed some issues with regard to the scoring system for peritoneal metastasis, selection criteria for CRS+ HIPEC treatment, and the new drug application for colorectal PC. Peritoneal carcinomatosis index (PCI) is the most useful scoring system for peritoneal metastasis and CRS+ HIPEC is the primary treatment for colorectal PC. Patients with PCI<20 should receive thorough assessment on the feasibility of R0 or R1 resection and CRS+ HIPEC treatment. For patients with unresectable PC at the initial stage, active drug therapy should be adopted to achieve tumor regression, so that some of them would have the opportunity to receive CRS+ HIPEC treatment.

Expression of Kif5b protein is significantly associated with the progression, recurrence and prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Kinesin family member 5b (Kif5b), a conventional kinesin, mainly participates in lysosome and mitochondria transportation. Some studies have indicated that Kif5b may be associated with the development of a variety of tumors. However, the role Kif5b plays in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has yet to be determined. Our study aimed at investigating the expression level of Kif5b in primary OSCC and discussing its clinical significance in patients' outcomes.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We measured Kif5b expression in 82 OSCC tissue samples with immunohistochemistry. The associations between the expression level of Kif5b and clinicopathological characteristics as well as patients' survival were statistically assessed.

RESULTS

Kif5b level was significantly associated with tumor size (p=0.034), histological differentiation (p=0.028), disease recurrence (p=0.018), surrounding tissue invasion (p=0.045), recurrence time (p=0.036) and survival status (p=0.030). Kaplan-Meier cumulative survival analyses indicated that high expression of Kif5b was linked to worse overall survival (p=0.0112) and disease-free survival (p=0.0085). The univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis further identified the expression status of Kif5b as an independent variable that correlated with patients' survival and recurrence. Furthermore, in 54 early-stage, clinically node negative OSCC patients, Kif5b expression were correlated with histological differentiation (p=0.034), disease recurrence (p=0.038) and surrounding tissue invasion (p=0.029). Univariate and multivariable logistic regression results showed that only Kif5b expression level could influence the probability of recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results reveal that Kif5b expression is associated with poor clinical outcome in OSCC and even in early-stage, clinically node negative OSCC and may be a potential target for OSCC treatment.

Adsorption of reactive dyes onto chitosan/montmorillonite intercalated composite: multi-response optimization, kinetic, isotherm and thermodynamic study

Chitosan/montmorillonite intercalated composite (CTS/MMT) was used as an effective adsorbent for removal of reactive dyes, i.e. Reactive Black 5 (RB5), Reactive Red 136 (RR136), Reactive Yellow 145 (RY145) and Reactive Blue 222 (RB222). Taguchi method attached grey relational analysis was applied to determine the optimal adsorption conditions, including pH, initial concentration of dye, temperature, adsorbent dosage and contact time, for achieving simultaneous maximization of removal percentage and adsorption capacity. The percentage contribution of each adsorption condition was determined in the analysis of variance and showed that the most effective parameter in removal of RB5, RY145 and RB222 is the dye solution pH, whereas the initial concentration was the determining factor for optimum efficiency for the dye RR136. Under respective optimal condition, the removal percentages and adsorption capacity of four reactive dyes onto CTS/MMT were both found in the following order: RR136 > RY145 > RB5 > RB222. The maximum removal percentages of 78.8 and 49.5%, and the adsorption capacity of 315.20 and 123.75 mg/g were obtained for RR136 and RB222, respectively. The adsorption behaviors showed that the adsorption kinetics and isotherms were in best agreement with Avrami fractionary order model and the Toth isotherm, respectively.

Pulsed electromagnetic fields preserve bone architecture and mechanical properties and stimulate porous implant osseointegration by promoting bone anabolism in type 1 diabetic rabbits

The effects of exogenous pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) stimulation on T1DM-associated osteopathy were investigated in alloxan-treated rabbits. We found that PEMF improved bone architecture, mechanical properties, and porous titanium (pTi) osseointegration by promoting bone anabolism through a canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling-associated mechanism, and revealed the clinical potential of PEMF stimulation for the treatment of T1DM-associated bone complications.

INTRODUCTION

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is associated with deteriorated bone architecture and impaired osseous healing potential; nonetheless, effective methods for resisting T1DM-associated osteopenia/osteoporosis and promoting bone defect/fracture healing are still lacking. PEMF, as a safe and noninvasive method, have proven to be effective for promoting osteogenesis, whereas the potential effects of PEMF on T1DM osteopathy remain poorly understood.

METHODS

We herein investigated the effects of PEMF stimulation on bone architecture, mechanical properties, bone turnover, and its potential molecular mechanisms in alloxan-treated diabetic rabbits. We also developed novel nontoxic Ti2448 pTi implants with closer elastic modulus with natural bone and investigated the impacts of PEMF on pTi osseointegration for T1DM bone-defect repair.

RESULTS

The deteriorations of cancellous and cortical bone architecture and tissue-level mechanical strength were attenuated by 8-week PEMF stimulation. PEMF also promoted osseointegration and stimulated more adequate bone ingrowths into the pore spaces of pTi in T1DM long-bone defects. Moreover, T1DM-associated reduction of bone formation was significantly attenuated by PEMF, whereas PEMF exerted no impacts on bone resorption. We also found PEMF-induced activation of osteoblastogenesis-related Wnt/β-catenin signaling in T1DM skeletons, but PEMF did not alter osteoclastogenesis-associated RANKL/RANK signaling gene expression.

CONCLUSION

We reveal that PEMF improved bone architecture, mechanical properties, and pTi osseointegration by promoting bone anabolism through a canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling-associated mechanism. This study enriches our basic knowledge for understanding skeletal sensitivity in response to external electromagnetic signals, and also opens new treatment alternatives for T1DM-associated osteopenia/osteoporosis and osseous defects in an easy and highly efficient manner.

Thromboembolism Induced by Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cell Infusion: A Report of Two Cases and Literature Review

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the thromboembolism induced by blood-mediated inflammatory reactions against infused cells during the clinical application of stem cells.

METHODS

Two patients with renal transplantation and chronic kidney disease, respectively, experienced thromboembolism after umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (UCMSC) infusion. The clinical manifestations and the laboratory test results were collected and analyzed.

RESULTS

The patients received stem cell infusion through the peripheral veins and presented with a swollen and painful forearm postinfusion. Doppler ultrasound showed venous clots at the proximal end of the puncture site. Urokinase and warfarin were used for thrombolytic therapy. The swelling and pain were relieved and cured.

CONCLUSION

Safety concerns are still a primary hurdle for stem cell therapy, and thromboembolism as a critical complication should be prevented appropriately.

Characterization of the novel HLA-DQB1*03:279 allele by sequencing-based typing

HLA-DQB1*03:279 differs from HLA-DQB1*03:02:01:01 by one nucleotide substitution at position 218 (A>T).

Effects of Collagen Crosslinkers on Dentine: A Literature Review

This aim of this review is to explore the current research related to crosslinking agents used on dentine. A systematic search of publications in PubMed and Web of Science databases was performed. Further retrieval was conducted using the search terms of specific names of crosslinkers. Reviews, conference abstracts, dissertation and theses, non-English articles, studies of intrinsic crosslinking of dentine, studies of adhesives without specific crosslinker components, studies of crosslinker applications in other collagenous tissues or tooth-like structures and irrelevant studies were excluded. Manual screening was conducted on the bibliographies of remaining papers to identify other relevant articles. One hundred and one articles were included in this systematic review and full texts were retrieved. Both synthetic and naturally derived crosslinkers have been found to exhibit significant effects in biomodification of dentine via their multiple interactions with the dentine matrix. A stable matrix network or a durable hybrid layer in dentine bonding could be achieved, where the dentine collagen fibrils show improved biochemical and biomechanical properties and enzymatic biodegradation is reduced. Although no crosslinkers have been tested in clinical trials, extensive research has been conducted in laboratory studies to investigate their potential applicability for inhibition of demineralisation and/or promotion of remineralisation, caries prevention as well as improvement of bonding performance of adhesive systems. Further studies are needed to develop the feasibility for clinical use, reduce side effects as well as explore mechanisms of action and long-term effectiveness.

Abstract P5-09-02: Tβ4 expression in cancer-associated endothelial cells enhances progression of invasive breast cancer

Background: Invasive breast cancer is a highly aggressive primary breast tumour with poor prognosis. As tumour angiogenesis is exhibited by invasive breast cancer, anti-angiogenic therapy has been intensively evaluated over the past decade. However, clinical studies were disappointing. Thymosin β4 (Tβ4), a multi-functional peptide, is associated with induction of angiogenesis, but the role of Tβ4 in tumorigenesis of invasive breast cancer is unknown. We tested whether Tβ4 inhibition could be a new target involved in tumour development and tumour angiogenesis for treatment of invasive breast cancer.

Methods: We have adapted a 3D co-culture system to acquire invasive breast cancer cells-associated endothelial cells (ECs), which is followed by characterising the differential gene expressions by PCR-based subtraction analysis. We performed Western blot analysis on the protein samples obtained from ECs-stimulated by invasive breast cancer cells. Expression of Tβ4 in invasive breast cancer was assessed by qPCR in the breast tissues (tumour, n=119; background, n=55), and protein expression confirmed by immunohistochemical examination in an invasive breast cancer tissue microarray. Finally, mice breast cancer xenografts plus non-invasively photoacoustic microscopy were used to analyse the effect of Tβ4 knockdown on the tumorigenesis of invasive breast cancer.

Results: We found that invasive breast cancer cells could stimulate an increase in Tβ4 expression in microvascular ECs. High Tβ4 levels were strongly associated with high malignant invasive breast cancer and poor clinical outcome. In vivo study showed that siRNA targeting Tβ4 blocked growth of invasive breast cancer in mice. Photoacoustic imaging revealed that knockdown of Tβ4 elicited anti-breast cancer growth, in part, through disruption of tumour vasculature. Our results demonstrate that endothelial cell-derived Tβ4 enhances the progression of breast cancer by up-regulating tumour angiogenesis and it indicates that a high level of tumour stromal Tβ4 is an independent predictor of poor outcome.

Conclusions: Inhibiting endothelial Tβ4 could be a new therapeutic target in anti-angiogenic strategy for treatment of invasive breast cancer.

Citation Format: Cai J, Jiang W. Tβ4 expression in cancer-associated endothelial cells enhances progression of invasive breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-09-02.

Eye patches: Protein assembly of index-gradient squid lenses

A parabolic relationship between lens radius and refractive index allows spherical lenses to avoid spherical aberration. We show that in squid, patchy colloidal physics resulted from an evolutionary radiation of globular S-crystallin proteins. Small-angle x-ray scattering experiments on lens tissue show colloidal gels of S-crystallins at all radial positions. Sparse lens materials form via low-valence linkages between disordered loops protruding from the protein surface. The loops are polydisperse and bind via a set of hydrogen bonds between disordered side chains. Peripheral lens regions with low particle valence form stable, volume-spanning gels at low density, whereas central regions with higher average valence gel at higher densities. The proteins demonstrate an evolved set of linkers for self-assembly of nanoparticles into volumetric materials.

Phylogenetic and genetic variation analyses of porcine circovirus type 2 isolated from China

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is a causative agent of PCV2-associated disease, which is a growing problem in the swine industry worldwide. High nucleotide substitution occurs in the capsid (Cap) gene of PCV2, which allows the continuous evolution and the emergence of novel PCV2 strains. In this study, we sequenced 24 Chinese PCV2 strains collected from healthy and diseased pigs between 2013 and 2015. Analyses of the genome, Cap and phylogeny classified the 24 Chinese PCV2 strains as PCV-2a (four of 24), PCV-2b (five of 24) and PCV-2d (15 of 24). All strains shared 89.5%-100% and 87.2%-100% identities with the nucleotide and amino acid (aa) sequences of Cap, respectively. Selection pressure analysis showed that five sites at the epitope regions in Cap were under positive selection. Further analysis by Jameson-Wolf antigenic index indicated that aa substitutions occurring at the epitope regions contributed to the antigenic alterations of the different PCV2 strains. High genetic variation and genotype shift to PCV2d occurred in recent years, and different genotypes coexisted in Chinese pig herds. The data provide evidence for the increased genetic diversity and insights into the molecular epidemiology of PCV2.