Comparative analysis of the effect of different radiotherapy regimes on lymphocyte and its subpopulations in breast cancer patients

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to determine whether different radiotherapy (RT) fractionation schemes induce disparate effects on lymphocyte and its subsets in breast cancer patients.

METHODS

60 female patients diagnosed with breast cancer were recruited in this study after receiving modified radical mastectomy and were randomly divided into two groups. One group received irradiation at a standard dose of 50 Gy in 25 fractions and the other at a dose of 40.3 Gy in 13 fractions. Both total lymphocyte count and its composition were recorded at three timepoints: right before the radiation treatment (T0), immediately after the last fraction of radiotherapy (T1) and 6 months after irradiation therapy ended (T2).

RESULTS

Both groups experienced temporal lymphopenia after finishing local radiation (T1) (13F T0 vs. T1 1570.6 ± 243.9 vs. 940.6 ± 141.8, **p < 0.01; 25F T0 vs. T1 1620.5 ± 280.2 vs. 948.5 ± 274.6, **p < 0.01), while the lymphocyte count recovered at follow-up time (T2), and the cell count in the hypofractionation group (13F) was higher than the standard fraction group (25F) (13F vs. 25F 1725.6 ± 225.6 vs. 1657.5 ± 242.4, *p < 0.05). With respect to the composition of lymphocyte, we found T cell, B cell, and NK cell reacted differently to different radiotherapy protocols.

CONCLUSIONS

Different RT protocols impose different impacts on immunity, leading us to further explore the optimal radiotherapy regimes to synergy with immunotherapy.

Predicted vitamin D status and colon cancer recurrence and mortality in CALGB 89803 (Alliance)

Background

Observational studies suggest that higher levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D) are associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer and improved survival of colorectal cancer patients. However, the influence of vitamin D status on cancer recurrence and survival of patients with stage III colon cancer is unknown.

Patients and methods

We prospectively examined the influence of post-diagnosis predicted plasma 25(OH)D on outcome among 1016 patients with stage III colon cancer who were enrolled in a National Cancer Institute-sponsored adjuvant therapy trial (CALGB 89803). Predicted 25(OH)D scores were computed using validated regression models. We examined the influence of predicted 25(OH)D scores on cancer recurrence and mortality (disease-free survival; DFS) using Cox proportional hazards.

Results

Patients in the highest quintile of predicted 25(OH)D score had an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for colon cancer recurrence or mortality (DFS) of 0.62 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.44-0.86), compared with those in the lowest quintile (Ptrend = 0.005). Higher predicted 25(OH)D score was also associated with a significant improvement in recurrence-free survival and overall survival (Ptrend = 0.01 and 0.0004, respectively). The benefit associated with higher predicted 25(OH)D score appeared consistent across predictors of cancer outcome and strata of molecular tumor characteristics, including microsatellite instability and KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA, and TP53 mutation status.

Conclusion

Higher predicted 25(OH)D levels after a diagnosis of stage III colon cancer may be associated with decreased recurrence and improved survival. Clinical trials assessing the benefit of vitamin D supplementation in the adjuvant setting are warranted.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier

NCT00003835.

Carotid Artery Wall Imaging: Perspective and Guidelines from the ASNR Vessel Wall Imaging Study Group and Expert Consensus Recommendations of the American Society of Neuroradiology

Identification of carotid artery atherosclerosis is conventionally based on measurements of luminal stenosis and surface irregularities using in vivo imaging techniques including sonography, CT and MR angiography, and digital subtraction angiography. However, histopathologic studies demonstrate considerable differences between plaques with identical degrees of stenosis and indicate that certain plaque features are associated with increased risk for ischemic events. The ability to look beyond the lumen using highly developed vessel wall imaging methods to identify plaque vulnerable to disruption has prompted an active debate as to whether a paradigm shift is needed to move away from relying on measurements of luminal stenosis for gauging the risk of ischemic injury. Further evaluation in randomized clinical trials will help to better define the exact role of plaque imaging in clinical decision-making. However, current carotid vessel wall imaging techniques can be informative. The goal of this article is to present the perspective of the ASNR Vessel Wall Imaging Study Group as it relates to the current status of arterial wall imaging in carotid artery disease.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of tenderness metrics in control groups used in comparative nutrition experiments. Transl Anim Sci 2017;1:261-276. [PMID: 32704651 PMCID: PMC7205340 DOI: 10.2527/tas2017.0031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

This review reports the pork quality attributes, Warner-Bratzler Shear Force, Slice Shear Force, Star Probe, pH, marbling, color (Minolta L*/L or Hunter L*/L), and sensory tenderness evaluation, in control groups used in comparative nutrition experiments over the past 20 yr. The original aim of this study was to evaluate if changes in pork quality based on the above metrics occurred over time. To address this question, it was anticipated that data may come from 3 sources with decreasing relevance: representative retail pork surveys, representative post-harvest carcass surveys, and control groups from comparative nutrition experiments. To identify the study population, a review of studies reported in Centre for Agricultural Biosciences International Abstracts (Web of Knowledge; 1994–2014) was conducted. Two national level surveys of retail pork and 146 relevant nutritional experiments studies, with 228 control groups, were identified by the search. It was not possible to conduct a meta-analysis of the retail pork surveys based on only 2 time points. For the comparative studies, a random effects meta-analysis was conducted with year as a covariate to assess the impact of time on the outcome. In the absence of modifiers, there was no evidence of meaningful change in the mean Warner-Bratzler Shear Force, pH, color, marbling, or sensory scores over the study period. There was evidence of substantial between-study heterogeneity in the characteristics of control pigs used over the years for Warner-Bratzler Shear Force and measures of color. The absence of publicly-available representative surveys of pork quality meant the changes in pork quality over time were not clear. If changes in pork quality have occurred, the data suggest that pigs used as controls in experiments may have become less representative of commercial pigs over time and the translatability of study findings from nutrition experiments might be reduced over time. Alternately, if commercial pigs have not changed, then control pigs reflect this. The study does not address if control groups in other experimental intervention studies had similar tenderness patterns as reported here for nutritional interventions. A large amount of potentially available data was excluded from the analysis due to incomplete reporting in the original study reports.

Accessions of Perennial Glycine Species With Resistance to Multiple Types of Soybean Cyst Nematode (Heterodera glycines)

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN; Heterodera glycines; HG) is a widely occurring and damaging pathogen that limits soybean production. Developing resistant cultivars is the most cost-effective method for managing this disease. Genes conferring SCN resistance in soybean have been identified; however, there are SCN populations that overcome known resistance genes. In order to identify additional sources of resistance and potentially new resistance genes, 223 plant introductions (PIs) of G. tomentella and 59 PIs of 12 other perennial Glycine species were inoculated with HG Types 0, HG 2, and HG 1.2.3, and then 36 PIs out of this set were further evaluated with HG Type 1.2.3.4.5.6.7, a population that overcomes all the resistance genes in soybean. Of 223 G. tomentella PIs evaluated, 86 were classified as resistant to three HG types, 69 as resistant to two HG types, and 22 as resistant to one HG type. Of the other 12 perennial Glycine species, all PIs of G. argyrea and G. pescadrensis were resistant to all three HG types. Of the 36 PIs challenged with HG Type 1.2.3.4.5.6.7, 35 were resistant with 16 showing no cyst reproduction. Our study confirms that there are high levels of resistance to SCN among the perennial Glycine species. This represents an untapped resource for use in genetic studies and for improving resistance to SCN in soybean.

[Impact of different antithrombotic therapy strategy on prognosis in coronary heart disease patients combining with atrial fibrillation: a meta analysis]

Objective: To evaluate the impact of various anticoagulation antiplatelet therapy strategies on the prognosis of patients with coronary heart disease combining with atrial fibrillation. Methods: Present meta analysis was performed according to search results on English EMBASE database by computer retrieval, Pubmed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Medline, Chinese CBM database, CNKI database, Wan Fang database, China science and technology papers online electronic databases, manual retrieval for important international conference proceedings up to April 30 2016. Trials published in English and Chinese language, which met the Cochrane system evaluation requirements were included and the inclusion and exclusion criteria were made based on Cochrane system evaluation requirements. The end point is the incident of major adverse cardiac events (MACE), ischemic stroke and major bleeding events. The patients were randomly assigned into triple antithrombotic therapy (aspirin+ clopidogrel+ warfarin) group and dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin+ clopidogrel) group.The collected full-text literatures underwent further quality assessment of the risks of bias using RevMan 5.3 software. Impact of various antithrombotic therapeutic strategies on the outcome of coronary heart disease patients combining with atrial fibrillation were evaluated. Results: In this meta analysis, 12 randomized controlled trials with 11 353 patients were included. Among these patients, 3 486 patients received triple antithrombotic therapy and 7 867 patients received dual anti-platelet therapy. There was no significant difference in incidence rate of MACE (OR=0.93, 95%CI 0.74-1.18, P>0.05) and the incidence rate of ischemic stroke (OR=0.88, 95%CI 0.70-1.10, P=0.27) between the two patients groups. However, the incidence rate of major bleeding events in triple antithrombotic therapy group was twice higher than that in dual anti-platelet therapy (OR=1.94, 95%CI 1.33-2.82, P=0.000 6). Conclusion: Compared with dual anti-platelet therapy strategy, coronary heart disease patients combining with atrial fibrillation who were treated by triple antithrombotic therapy strategy have the similar outcome on risk of ischemic stroke, but higher risk of major bleeding events.

APOBEC gene family expression and hallmarks in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

The hallmark activity of APOBEC (apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide) family of cytidine deaminases, including activation-induced deaminase (AID) and APOBEC3 genes, has been detected in somatic mutation signatures by ultra-deep sequencing of the genomes of many cancers, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The acquisition of these mutations is hypothesized to lead to the progression towards aggressive disease in cancer. To examine this in CLL, we tested if increased APOBEC family member gene expression in CLL cells, as measured by microarray and quantitative real time PCR, correlated with worse patient outcome. Higher levels of AID, APOBEC3B, APOBEC3F and APOBEC3H in CLL cells correlated with worse patient outcome, whereas APOBEC3G did not. Interestingly, higher levels of a truncated splice variant of APOBEC3F tended to correlate with better patient outcome. The expression of truncated APOBEC3F may possibly interfere with APOBEC family member mutation activity. To test mutation activity, CLL cells were activated by transfer into NOD-scid IL2Rγnull mice, a xenograft model of human CLL, and hallmark mutation signatures in the expressed immunoglobulin variable region (IGHV) of CLL cells were analyzed by targeted ultra-deep sequencing. Induced IGHV mutation hallmarks consistent with AID were found. These data support the hypothesis that expression and mutation activity of APOBEC family members, such as AID, in CLL cells could lead to adverse patient consequences.

[Evaluation of a low dose imaging protocol on radiation exposure reduction in pediatric supraventricular tachycardia ablation procedure]

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and efficiency of a low dose imaging protocol on reducing X-ray dose level in pediatric supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) ablation procedure. Method: Data were collected from 103 patients who underwent catheter ablation for SVT in Children's Hospital of Fudan University from January 2014 to October 2016 in terms of body weight, body surface area (BSA), SVT types, accessory pathway location, fluoroscopy time and the radiation dose (including AIR KERMA and dose area product) in a case observational study.The fluoroscopy protocols were operated at 36 nGy/frame and 10 frames/s (Standard group, n=47) from January 2014 to September 2015, 36 nGy/frame and 10 frames/s with removal of the grid (Grid-out group, n=24) from October 2015 to April 2016, as well as 23 nGy/frame and 4.0-7.5 frames/s without the grid (Grid-out plus low dose group, n=32) from May 2016 to October 2016, respectively.Comparisons among groups were performed by independent-sample t-test or one-way analysis of variance for normally distributed continuous variables, and χ(2) test for categorical variables. Result: The average body weight, BSA, fluoroscopy time and AIR KERMA of the three groups was (34±14) kg, (1.14±0.33) m(2,) (11±8) minutes and (12.97±12.43) mGy, respectively.No significant differences in body weight (F=2.551), BSA (F=2.359), SVT types (χ(2)=6.15), and accessory pathway location (χ(2)=3.438) were observed among these three groups (P>0.05). Images acquired by low dose protocol could provide enough information for procedures, and no complication occurred.The acute success rates were 100% in all of these three groups, and there was no significant difference in mean fluoroscopy time (F=0.004, P>0.05) among them.However, the radiation dose (AIR KERMA) in the Grid-out plus low dose group was much lower than that in the Standard group ((7.54±7.31) mGy vs. (16.25±12.08) mGy, F=6.112, P<0.01)). Conclusion: The new strategy of combination of low dose fluoroscopy protocol with removal of grid markedly reduced radiation exposure to children undergoing supraventricular tachycardia ablation while maintaining procedural efficacy and safety.

The Number of Overlapping AID Hotspots in Germline IGHV Genes Is Inversely Correlated with Mutation Frequency in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

The targeting of mutations by Activation-Induced Deaminase (AID) is a key step in generating antibody diversity at the Immunoglobulin (Ig) loci but is also implicated in B-cell malignancies such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). AID has previously been shown to preferentially deaminate WRC (W = A/T, R = A/G) hotspots. WGCW sites, which contain an overlapping WRC hotspot on both DNA strands, mutate at much higher frequency than single hotspots. Human Ig heavy chain (IGHV) genes differ in terms of WGCW numbers, ranging from 4 for IGHV3-48*03 to as many as 12 in IGHV1-69*01. An absence of V-region mutations in CLL patients ("IGHV unmutated", or U-CLL) is associated with a poorer prognosis compared to "IGHV mutated" (M-CLL) patients. The reasons for this difference are still unclear, but it has been noted that particular IGHV genes associate with U-CLL vs M-CLL. For example, patients with IGHV1-69 clones tend to be U-CLL with a poor prognosis, whereas patients with IGHV3-30 tend to be M-CLL and have a better prognosis. Another distinctive feature of CLL is that ~30% of (mostly poor prognosis) patients can be classified into "stereotyped" subsets, each defined by HCDR3 similarity, suggesting selection, possibly for a self-antigen. We analyzed >1000 IGHV genes from CLL patients and found a highly significant statistical relationship between the number of WGCW hotspots in the germline V-region and the observed mutation frequency in patients. However, paradoxically, this correlation was inverse, with V-regions with more WGCW hotspots being less likely to be mutated, i.e., more likely to be U-CLL. The number of WGCW hotspots in particular, are more strongly correlated with mutation frequency than either non-overlapping (WRC) hotspots or more general models of mutability derived from somatic hypermutation data. Furthermore, this correlation is not observed in sequences from the B cell repertoires of normal individuals and those with autoimmune diseases.

Third- and high-order nonlinear optical properties of an intramolecular charge-transfer compound

An oligo(phenylenevinylene) bridged intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) compound, (TCNQ)2OPV3, has been synthesized and its third- and fifth-order nonlinear optical properties have been determined by measurement with the 4f system with a phase-object.

Implication of Differential Peroxiredoxin 4 Expression with Age in Ovaries of Mouse and Human for Ovarian Aging

Ovarian aging has been associated with increased levels of reactive oxygen species and the deficiencies of antioxidant defense. The antioxidant peroxiredoxin 4 (Prdx4), as a member of Prdx protein family, controls cellular oxidative stress by reducing H2O2 levels. In previous studies, we provided evidence that Prdx4 was abundantly expressed in mouse and human ovaries and expression of Prdx4 in matured follicles was higher than that in immatured follicles. Accordingly, we speculated that Prdx4 expression could be associated with follicle development and it may be as a part of the antioxidative mechanism in follicular development. In this study, we demonstrated that Prdx4 was mainly expressed in the granulosa cells of mouse ovaries and the expression levels significantly increased along development of follicles. However, the expression levels of Prdx4 decreased when mice reached the aged stage (18 months old). Likewise a similar pattern that was observed in the mice study was also found in human ovaries where Prdx4 was expressed lower in premenopausal women than young women. Subsequent in vitro experiments indicated that Prdx4 mRNA and protein levels both increased with H2O2 in a concentrationdependent manner, but decreased rapidly with high concentration of H2O2, and the changes were closely related to cell proliferation. Taken together, these findings argue our understanding on the role of oxidative stress and antioxidant in follicular development and ovarian aging.

Reflectance confocal microscopy for the evaluation of sensitive skin

BACKGROUND

Nowadays, the diagnosis for sensitive skin relies on subjective assessment or on the combination of subjective and objective evaluation. No quantitative evaluation is available. It could be expected that confocal microscopy imaging could be of interest to better define the condition.

METHODS

Total 166 healthy female subjects were recruited in this study. Firstly, all subjects completed the sensitive questionnaire. Then, the cutaneous structures were measured by the reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) on the face and fossa cubitalia. The lactic acid sting test was conducted finally. According to the results of self-perception sensitive skin questionnaire and lactic acid stinging test to evaluate facial skin sensitivity the both positive subjects were regarded as sensitive skin group and both negative group as healthy control group.

RESULT

The results of RCM indicating that the proportion of 'disarranged honeycomb pattern' and 'spongiform edema' in the sensitive group and healthy control group were statistically different (P < 0.05), respectively; The following report 'damaged dermal papilla rings' was not a distinctive pattern, with no significant statistical difference (P > 0.05). The epidermal thickness was 38.88 ± 6.81 μm, healthy control group was 40.31 ± 9.37 μm in, respectively, sensitive skin group and healthy control group, there was no significant statistical difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). The honeycomb structure depth of sensitive group was 20.57 ± 4.86 μm. It was for 23.27 ± 6.38 μm, healthy control group the difference being statistically different between the two groups (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Based on the RCM results, 'epidermal honeycomb structure' and 'spongiform edema' may be used as new skin signs of RCM evaluation of sensitive skin effectively. Indeed, sensitive skin honeycomb structure depth was thinner compared with healthy control group. Such a specific pattern has good clinical and monitoring value for the further exploration. RCM could provide new data and patterns for the evaluation of sensitive skin.

[Influence of leptin receptor gene K109R polymorphism on the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and its interaction with PNPLA3 I148M polymorphism]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the influence of leptin receptor (LEPR) gene K109R polymorphism on the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its interaction with PNPLA3 I148M polymorphism in the Han Chinese population in Qingdao, China.

METHODS

Blood samples were collected from 296 NAFLD patients and 321 healthy controls, and the genotypes of these patients were determined by PCR and genotyping. Related statistical analyses were performed to compare genotypes, alleles, and clinical data between the two groups. Generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) was used to investigate the interaction between LEPR K109R and PNPLA3 I148M genes.

RESULTS

The distribution of LEPR K109R genotypes and alleles showed no significant differences between the NAFLD group and the control group (P > 0.05). PNPLA3 I148M gene polymorphisms were closely associated with the risk of NAFLD, and the risk of NAFLD in G mutant gene carriers was 2.07 times that in patients who did not carry this gene (OR = 2.07, 95% CI 1.423-3.013, P < 0.001). The joint action of LEPR K109R and PNPLA3 I148M significantly increased the risk of NAFL (OR = 3.393, 95% CI 1.856-6.201, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

In the Han Chinese population in Qingdao, LEPR K109R gene polymorphism is not associated with the risk of NAFLD, but its interaction with PNPLA3 I148M polymorphism can significantly increase the risk of NAFLD.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells diversify and differentiate in vivo via a nonclassical Th1-dependent, Bcl-6-deficient process

Xenografting primary tumor cells allows modeling of the heterogeneous natures of malignant diseases and the influences of the tissue microenvironment. Here, we demonstrate that xenografting primary chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) B lymphocytes with activated autologous T cells into alymphoid mice results in considerable CLL B cell division and sizable T cell expansion. Nevertheless, most/all CD5⁺CD19⁺ cells are eventually lost, due in part to differentiation into antibody-secreting plasmablasts/plasma cells. CLL B cell differentiation is associated with isotype class switching and development of new IGHV-D-J mutations and occurs via an activation-induced deaminase-dependent pathway that upregulates IRF4 and Blimp-1 without appreciable levels of the expected Bcl-6. These processes were induced in IGHV-unmutated and IGHV-mutated clones by Th1-polarized T-bet⁺ T cells, not classical T follicular helper (Tfh) cells. Thus, the block in B cell maturation, defects in T cell action, and absence of antigen-receptor diversification, which are often cardinal characteristics of CLL, are not inherent but imposed by external signals and the microenvironment. Although these activities are not dominant features in human CLL, each occurs in tissue proliferation centers where the mechanisms responsible for clonal evolution operate. Thus, in this setting, CLL B cell diversification and differentiation develop by a nonclassical germinal center-like reaction that might reflect the cell of origin of this leukemia.