Human genome meeting 2016 : Houston, TX, USA. 28 February - 2 March 2016

O1 The metabolomics approach to autism: identification of biomarkers for early detection of autism spectrum disorder A. K. Srivastava, Y. Wang, R. Huang, C. Skinner, T. Thompson, L. Pollard, T. Wood, F. Luo, R. Stevenson O2 Phenome-wide association study for smoking- and drinking-associated genes in 26,394 American women with African, Asian, European, and Hispanic descents R. Polimanti, J. Gelernter O3 Effects of prenatal environment, genotype and DNA methylation on birth weight and subsequent postnatal outcomes: findings from GUSTO, an Asian birth cohort X. Lin, I. Y. Lim, Y. Wu, A. L. Teh, L. Chen, I. M. Aris, S. E. Soh, M. T. Tint, J. L. MacIsaac, F. Yap, K. Kwek, S. M. Saw, M. S. Kobor, M. J. Meaney, K. M. Godfrey, Y. S. Chong, J. D. Holbrook, Y. S. Lee, P. D. Gluckman, N. Karnani, GUSTO study group O4 High-throughput identification of specific qt interval modulating enhancers at the SCN5A locus A. Kapoor, D. Lee, A. Chakravarti O5 Identification of extracellular matrix components inducing cancer cell migration in the supernatant of cultivated mesenchymal stem cells C. Maercker, F. Graf, M. Boutros O6 Single cell allele specific expression (ASE) IN T21 and common trisomies: a novel approach to understand DOWN syndrome and other aneuploidies G. Stamoulis, F. Santoni, P. Makrythanasis, A. Letourneau, M. Guipponi, N. Panousis, M. Garieri, P. Ribaux, E. Falconnet, C. Borel, S. E. Antonarakis O7 Role of microRNA in LCL to IPSC reprogramming S. Kumar, J. Curran, J. Blangero O8 Multiple enhancer variants disrupt gene regulatory network in Hirschsprung disease S. Chatterjee, A. Kapoor, J. Akiyama, D. Auer, C. Berrios, L. Pennacchio, A. Chakravarti O9 Metabolomic profiling for the diagnosis of neurometabolic disorders T. R. Donti, G. Cappuccio, M. Miller, P. Atwal, A. Kennedy, A. Cardon, C. Bacino, L. Emrick, J. Hertecant, F. Baumer, B. Porter, M. Bainbridge, P. Bonnen, B. Graham, R. Sutton, Q. Sun, S. Elsea O10 A novel causal methylation network approach to Alzheimer’s disease Z. Hu, P. Wang, Y. Zhu, J. Zhao, M. Xiong, David A Bennett O11 A microRNA signature identifies subtypes of triple-negative breast cancer and reveals MIR-342-3P as regulator of a lactate metabolic pathway A. Hidalgo-Miranda, S. Romero-Cordoba, S. Rodriguez-Cuevas, R. Rebollar-Vega, E. Tagliabue, M. Iorio, E. D’Ippolito, S. Baroni O12 Transcriptome analysis identifies genes, enhancer RNAs and repetitive elements that are recurrently deregulated across multiple cancer types B. Kaczkowski, Y. Tanaka, H. Kawaji, A. Sandelin, R. Andersson, M. Itoh, T. Lassmann, the FANTOM5 consortium, Y. Hayashizaki, P. Carninci, A. R. R. Forrest O13 Elevated mutation and widespread loss of constraint at regulatory and architectural binding sites across 11 tumour types C. A. Semple O14 Exome sequencing provides evidence of pathogenicity for genes implicated in colorectal cancer E. A. Rosenthal, B. Shirts, L. Amendola, C. Gallego, M. Horike-Pyne, A. Burt, P. Robertson, P. Beyers, C. Nefcy, D. Veenstra, F. Hisama, R. Bennett, M. Dorschner, D. Nickerson, J. Smith, K. Patterson, D. Crosslin, R. Nassir, N. Zubair, T. Harrison, U. Peters, G. Jarvik, NHLBI GO Exome Sequencing Project O15 The tandem duplicator phenotype as a distinct genomic configuration in cancer F. Menghi, K. Inaki, X. Woo, P. Kumar, K. Grzeda, A. Malhotra, H. Kim, D. Ucar, P. Shreckengast, K. Karuturi, J. Keck, J. Chuang, E. T. Liu O16 Modeling genetic interactions associated with molecular subtypes of breast cancer B. Ji, A. Tyler, G. Ananda, G. Carter O17 Recurrent somatic mutation in the MYC associated factor X in brain tumors H. Nikbakht, M. Montagne, M. Zeinieh, A. Harutyunyan, M. Mcconechy, N. Jabado, P. Lavigne, J. Majewski O18 Predictive biomarkers to metastatic pancreatic cancer treatment J. B. Goldstein, M. Overman, G. Varadhachary, R. Shroff, R. Wolff, M. Javle, A. Futreal, D. Fogelman O19 DDIT4 gene expression as a prognostic marker in several malignant tumors L. Bravo, W. Fajardo, H. Gomez, C. Castaneda, C. Rolfo, J. A. Pinto O20 Spatial organization of the genome and genomic alterations in human cancers K. C. Akdemir, L. Chin, A. Futreal, ICGC PCAWG Structural Alterations Group O21 Landscape of targeted therapies in solid tumors S. Patterson, C. Statz, S. Mockus O22 Genomic analysis reveals novel drivers and progression pathways in skin basal cell carcinoma S. N. Nikolaev, X. I. Bonilla, L. Parmentier, B. King, F. Bezrukov, G. Kaya, V. Zoete, V. Seplyarskiy, H. Sharpe, T. McKee, A. Letourneau, P. Ribaux, K. Popadin, N. Basset-Seguin, R. Ben Chaabene, F. Santoni, M. Andrianova, M. Guipponi, M. Garieri, C. Verdan, K. Grosdemange, O. Sumara, M. Eilers, I. Aifantis, O. Michielin, F. de Sauvage, S. Antonarakis O23 Identification of differential biomarkers of hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma via transcriptome microarray meta-analysis S. Likhitrattanapisal O24 Clinical validity and actionability of multigene tests for hereditary cancers in a large multi-center study S. Lincoln, A. Kurian, A. Desmond, S. Yang, Y. Kobayashi, J. Ford, L. Ellisen O25 Correlation with tumor ploidy status is essential for correct determination of genome-wide copy number changes by SNP array T. L. Peters, K. R. Alvarez, E. F. Hollingsworth, D. H. Lopez-Terrada O26 Nanochannel based next-generation mapping for interrogation of clinically relevant structural variation A. Hastie, Z. Dzakula, A. W. Pang, E. T. Lam, T. Anantharaman, M. Saghbini, H. Cao, BioNano Genomics O27 Mutation spectrum in a pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) cohort and identification of associated truncating mutations in TBX4 C. Gonzaga-Jauregui, L. Ma, A. King, E. Berman Rosenzweig, U. Krishnan, J. G. Reid, J. D. Overton, F. Dewey, W. K. Chung O28 NORTH CAROLINA macular dystrophy (MCDR1): mutations found affecting PRDM13 K. Small, A. DeLuca, F. Cremers, R. A. Lewis, V. Puech, B. Bakall, R. Silva-Garcia, K. Rohrschneider, M. Leys, F. S. Shaya, E. Stone O29 PhenoDB and genematcher, solving unsolved whole exome sequencing data N. L. Sobreira, F. Schiettecatte, H. Ling, E. Pugh, D. Witmer, K. Hetrick, P. Zhang, K. Doheny, D. Valle, A. Hamosh O30 Baylor-Johns Hopkins Center for Mendelian genomics: a four year review S. N. Jhangiani, Z. Coban Akdemir, M. N. Bainbridge, W. Charng, W. Wiszniewski, T. Gambin, E. Karaca, Y. Bayram, M. K. Eldomery, J. Posey, H. Doddapaneni, J. Hu, V. R. Sutton, D. M. Muzny, E. A. Boerwinkle, D. Valle, J. R. Lupski, R. A. Gibbs O31 Using read overlap assembly to accurately identify structural genetic differences in an ashkenazi jewish trio S. Shekar, W. Salerno, A. English, A. Mangubat, J. Bruestle O32 Legal interoperability: a sine qua non for international data sharing A. Thorogood, B. M. Knoppers, Global Alliance for Genomics and Health - Regulatory and Ethics Working Group O33 High throughput screening platform of competent sineups: that can enhance translation activities of therapeutic target H. Takahashi, K. R. Nitta, A. Kozhuharova, A. M. Suzuki, H. Sharma, D. Cotella, C. Santoro, S. Zucchelli, S. Gustincich, P. Carninci O34 The undiagnosed diseases network international (UDNI): clinical and laboratory research to meet patient needs J. J. Mulvihill, G. Baynam, W. Gahl, S. C. Groft, K. Kosaki, P. Lasko, B. Melegh, D. Taruscio O36 Performance of computational algorithms in pathogenicity predictions for activating variants in oncogenes versus loss of function mutations in tumor suppressor genes R. Ghosh, S. Plon O37 Identification and electronic health record incorporation of clinically actionable pharmacogenomic variants using prospective targeted sequencing S. Scherer, X. Qin, R. Sanghvi, K. Walker, T. Chiang, D. Muzny, L. Wang, J. Black, E. Boerwinkle, R. Weinshilboum, R. Gibbs O38 Melanoma reprogramming state correlates with response to CTLA-4 blockade in metastatic melanoma T. Karpinets, T. Calderone, K. Wani, X. Yu, C. Creasy, C. Haymaker, M. Forget, V. Nanda, J. Roszik, J. Wargo, L. Haydu, X. Song, A. Lazar, J. Gershenwald, M. Davies, C. Bernatchez, J. Zhang, A. Futreal, S. Woodman O39 Data-driven refinement of complex disease classification from integration of heterogeneous functional genomics data in GeneWeaver E. J. Chesler, T. Reynolds, J. A. Bubier, C. Phillips, M. A. Langston, E. J. Baker O40 A general statistic framework for genome-based disease risk prediction M. Xiong, L. Ma, N. Lin, C. Amos O41 Integrative large-scale causal network analysis of imaging and genomic data and its application in schizophrenia studies N. Lin, P. Wang, Y. Zhu, J. Zhao, V. Calhoun, M. Xiong O42 Big data and NGS data analysis: the cloud to the rescue O. Dobretsberger, M. Egger, F. Leimgruber O43 Cpipe: a convergent clinical exome pipeline specialised for targeted sequencing S. Sadedin, A. Oshlack, Melbourne Genomics Health Alliance O44 A Bayesian classification of biomedical images using feature extraction from deep neural networks implemented on lung cancer data V. A. A. Antonio, N. Ono, Clark Kendrick C. Go O45 MAV-SEQ: an interactive platform for the Management, Analysis, and Visualization of sequence data Z. Ahmed, M. Bolisetty, S. Zeeshan, E. Anguiano, D. Ucar O47 Allele specific enhancer in EPAS1 intronic regions may contribute to high altitude adaptation of Tibetans C. Zeng, J. Shao O48 Nanochannel based next-generation mapping for structural variation detection and comparison in trios and populations H. Cao, A. Hastie, A. W. Pang, E. T. Lam, T. Liang, K. Pham, M. Saghbini, Z. Dzakula O49 Archaic introgression in indigenous populations of Malaysia revealed by whole genome sequencing Y. Chee-Wei, L. Dongsheng, W. Lai-Ping, D. Lian, R. O. Twee Hee, Y. Yunus, F. Aghakhanian, S. S. Mokhtar, C. V. Lok-Yung, J. Bhak, M. Phipps, X. Shuhua, T. Yik-Ying, V. Kumar, H. Boon-Peng O50 Breast and ovarian cancer prevention: is it time for population-based mutation screening of high risk genes? I. Campbell, M.-A. Young, P. James, Lifepool O53 Comprehensive coverage from low DNA input using novel NGS library preparation methods for WGS and WGBS C. Schumacher, S. Sandhu, T. Harkins, V. Makarov O54 Methods for large scale construction of robust PCR-free libraries for sequencing on Illumina HiSeqX platform H. DoddapaneniR. Glenn, Z. Momin, B. Dilrukshi, H. Chao, Q. Meng, B. Gudenkauf, R. Kshitij, J. Jayaseelan, C. Nessner, S. Lee, K. Blankenberg, L. Lewis, J. Hu, Y. Han, H. Dinh, S. Jireh, K. Walker, E. Boerwinkle, D. Muzny, R. Gibbs O55 Rapid capture methods for clinical sequencing J. Hu, K. Walker, C. Buhay, X. Liu, Q. Wang, R. Sanghvi, H. Doddapaneni, Y. Ding, N. Veeraraghavan, Y. Yang, E. Boerwinkle, A. L. Beaudet, C. M. Eng, D. M. Muzny, R. A. Gibbs O56 A diploid personal human genome model for better genomes from diverse sequence data K. C. C. Worley, Y. Liu, D. S. T. Hughes, S. C. Murali, R. A. Harris, A. C. English, X. Qin, O. A. Hampton, P. Larsen, C. Beck, Y. Han, M. Wang, H. Doddapaneni, C. L. Kovar, W. J. Salerno, A. Yoder, S. Richards, J. Rogers, J. R. Lupski, D. M. Muzny, R. A. Gibbs O57 Development of PacBio long range capture for detection of pathogenic structural variants Q. Meng, M. Bainbridge, M. Wang, H. Doddapaneni, Y. Han, D. Muzny, R. Gibbs O58 Rhesus macaques exhibit more non-synonymous variation but greater impact of purifying selection than humans R. A. Harris, M. Raveenedran, C. Xue, M. Dahdouli, L. Cox, G. Fan, B. Ferguson, J. Hovarth, Z. Johnson, S. Kanthaswamy, M. Kubisch, M. Platt, D. Smith, E. Vallender, R. Wiseman, X. Liu, J. Below, D. Muzny, R. Gibbs, F. Yu, J. Rogers O59 Assessing RNA structure disruption induced by single-nucleotide variation J. Lin, Y. Zhang, Z. Ouyang P1 A meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies of mitochondrial dna copy number A. Moore, Z. Wang, J. Hofmann, M. Purdue, R. Stolzenberg-Solomon, S. Weinstein, D. Albanes, C.-S. Liu, W.-L. Cheng, T.-T. Lin, Q. Lan, N. Rothman, S. Berndt P2 Missense polymorphic genetic combinations underlying down syndrome susceptibility E. S. Chen P4 The evaluation of alteration of ELAM-1 expression in the endometriosis patients H. Bahrami, A. Khoshzaban, S. Heidari Keshal P5 Obesity and the incidence of apolipoprotein E polymorphisms in an assorted population from Saudi Arabia population K. K. R. Alharbi P6 Genome-associated personalized antithrombotical therapy for patients with high risk of thrombosis and bleeding M. Zhalbinova, A. Akilzhanova, S. Rakhimova, M. Bekbosynova, S. Myrzakhmetova P7 Frequency of Xmn1 polymorphism among sickle cell carrier cases in UAE population M. Matar P8 Differentiating inflammatory bowel diseases by using genomic data: dimension of the problem and network organization N. Mili, R. Molinari, Y. Ma, S. Guerrier P9 Vulnerability of genetic variants to the risk of autism among Saudi children N. Elhawary, M. Tayeb, N. Bogari, N. Qotb P10 Chromatin profiles from ex vivo purified dopaminergic neurons establish a promising model to support studies of neurological function and dysfunction S. A. McClymont, P. W. Hook, L. A. Goff, A. McCallion P11 Utilization of a sensitized chemical mutagenesis screen to identify genetic modifiers of retinal dysplasia in homozygous Nr2e3^rd7 mice Y. Kong, J. R. Charette, W. L. Hicks, J. K. Naggert, L. Zhao, P. M. Nishina P12 Ion torrent next generation sequencing of recessive polycystic kidney disease in Saudi patients B. M. Edrees, M. Athar, F. A. Al-Allaf, M. M. Taher, W. Khan, A. Bouazzaoui, N. A. Harbi, R. Safar, H. Al-Edressi, A. Anazi, N. Altayeb, M. A. Ahmed, K. Alansary, Z. Abduljaleel P13 Digital expression profiling of Purkinje neurons and dendrites in different subcellular compartments A. Kratz, P. Beguin, S. Poulain, M. Kaneko, C. Takahiko, A. Matsunaga, S. Kato, A. M. Suzuki, N. Bertin, T. Lassmann, R. Vigot, P. Carninci, C. Plessy, T. Launey P14 The evolution of imperfection and imperfection of evolution: the functional and functionless fractions of the human genome D. Graur P16 Species-independent identification of known and novel recurrent genomic entities in multiple cancer patients J. Friis-Nielsen, J. M. Izarzugaza, S. Brunak P18 Discovery of active gene modules which are densely conserved across multiple cancer types reveal their prognostic power and mutually exclusive mutation patterns B. S. Soibam P19 Whole exome sequencing of dysplastic leukoplakia tissue indicates sequential accumulation of somatic mutations from oral precancer to cancer D. Das, N. Biswas, S. Das, S. Sarkar, A. Maitra, C. Panda, P. Majumder P21 Epigenetic mechanisms of carcinogensis by hereditary breast cancer genes J. J. Gruber, N. Jaeger, M. Snyder P22 RNA direct: a novel RNA enrichment strategy applied to transcripts associated with solid tumors K. Patel, S. Bowman, T. Davis, D. Kraushaar, A. Emerman, S. Russello, N. Henig, C. Hendrickson P23 RNA sequencing identifies gene mutations for neuroblastoma K. Zhang P24 Participation of SFRP1 in the modulation of TMPRSS2-ERG fusion gene in prostate cancer cell lines M. Rodriguez-Dorantes, C. D. Cruz-Hernandez, C. D. P. Garcia-Tobilla, S. Solorzano-Rosales P25 Targeted Methylation Sequencing of Prostate Cancer N. Jäger, J. Chen, R. Haile, M. Hitchins, J. D. Brooks, M. Snyder P26 Mutant TPMT alleles in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia from México City and Yucatán, Mexico S. Jiménez-Morales, M. Ramírez, J. Nuñez, V. Bekker, Y. Leal, E. Jiménez, A. Medina, A. Hidalgo, J. Mejía P28 Genetic modifiers of Alström syndrome J. Naggert, G. B. Collin, K. DeMauro, R. Hanusek, P. M. Nishina P31 Association of genomic variants with the occurrence of angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor (ACEI)-induced coughing among Filipinos E. M. Cutiongco De La Paz, R. Sy, J. Nevado, P. Reganit, L. Santos, J. D. Magno, F. E. Punzalan , D. Ona , E. Llanes, R. L. Santos-Cortes , R. Tiongco, J. Aherrera, L. Abrahan, P. Pagauitan-Alan; Philippine Cardiogenomics Study Group P32 The use of “humanized” mouse models to validate disease association of a de novo GARS variant and to test a novel gene therapy strategy for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2D K. H. Morelli, J. S. Domire, N. Pyne, S. Harper, R. Burgess P34 Molecular regulation of chondrogenic human induced pluripotent stem cells M. A. Gari, A. Dallol, H. Alsehli, A. Gari, M. Gari, A. Abuzenadah P35 Molecular profiling of hematologic malignancies: implementation of a variant assessment algorithm for next generation sequencing data analysis and clinical reporting M. Thomas, M. Sukhai, S. Garg, M. Misyura, T. Zhang, A. Schuh, T. Stockley, S. Kamel-Reid P36 Accessing genomic evidence for clinical variants at NCBI S. Sherry, C. Xiao, D. Slotta, K. Rodarmer, M. Feolo, M. Kimelman, G. Godynskiy, C. O’Sullivan, E. Yaschenko P37 NGS-SWIFT: a cloud-based variant analysis framework using control-accessed sequencing data from DBGAP/SRA C. Xiao, E. Yaschenko, S. Sherry P38 Computational assessment of drug induced hepatotoxicity through gene expression profiling C. Rangel-Escareño, H. Rueda-Zarate P40 Flowr: robust and efficient pipelines using a simple language-agnostic approach;ultraseq; fast modular pipeline for somatic variation calling using flowr S. Seth, S. Amin, X. Song, X. Mao, H. Sun, R. G. Verhaak, A. Futreal, J. Zhang P41 Applying “Big data” technologies to the rapid analysis of heterogenous large cohort data S. J. Whiite, T. Chiang, A. English, J. Farek, Z. Kahn, W. Salerno, N. Veeraraghavan, E. Boerwinkle, R. Gibbs P42 FANTOM5 web resource for the large-scale genome-wide transcription start site activity profiles of wide-range of mammalian cells T. Kasukawa, M. Lizio, J. Harshbarger, S. Hisashi, J. Severin, A. Imad, S. Sahin, T. C. Freeman, K. Baillie, A. Sandelin, P. Carninci, A. R. R. Forrest, H. Kawaji, The FANTOM Consortium P43 Rapid and scalable typing of structural variants for disease cohorts W. Salerno, A. English, S. N. Shekar, A. Mangubat, J. Bruestle, E. Boerwinkle, R. A. Gibbs P44 Polymorphism of glutathione S-transferases and sulphotransferases genes in an Arab population A. H. Salem, M. Ali, A. Ibrahim, M. Ibrahim P46 Genetic divergence of CYP3A5*3 pharmacogenomic marker for native and admixed Mexican populations J. C. Fernandez-Lopez, V. Bonifaz-Peña, C. Rangel-Escareño, A. Hidalgo-Miranda, A. V. Contreras P47 Whole exome sequence meta-analysis of 13 white blood cell, red blood cell, and platelet traits L. Polfus, CHARGE and NHLBI Exome Sequence Project Working Groups P48 Association of adipoq gene with type 2 diabetes and related phenotypes in african american men and women: The jackson heart study S. Davis, R. Xu, S. Gebeab, P Riestra, A Gaye, R. Khan, J. Wilson, A. Bidulescu P49 Common variants in casr gene are associated with serum calcium levels in koreans S. H. Jung, N. Vinayagamoorthy, S. H. Yim, Y. J. Chung P50 Inference of multiple-wave population admixture by modeling decay of linkage disequilibrium with multiple exponential functions Y. Zhou, S. Xu P51 A Bayesian framework for generalized linear mixed models in genome-wide association studies X. Wang, V. Philip, G. Carter P52 Targeted sequencing approach for the identification of the genetic causes of hereditary hearing impairment A. A. Abuzenadah, M. Gari, R. Turki, A. Dallol P53 Identification of enhancer sequences by ATAC-seq open chromatin profiling A. Uyar, A. Kaygun, S. Zaman, E. Marquez, J. George, D. Ucar P54 Direct enrichment for the rapid preparation of targeted NGS libraries C. L. Hendrickson, A. Emerman, D. Kraushaar, S. Bowman, N. Henig, T. Davis, S. Russello, K. Patel P56 Performance of the Agilent D5000 and High Sensitivity D5000 ScreenTape assays for the Agilent 4200 Tapestation System R. Nitsche, L. Prieto-Lafuente P57 ClinVar: a multi-source archive for variant interpretation M. Landrum, J. Lee, W. Rubinstein, D. Maglott P59 Association of functional variants and protein physical interactions of human MUTY homolog linked with familial adenomatous polyposis and colorectal cancer syndrome Z. Abduljaleel, W. Khan, F. A. Al-Allaf, M. Athar , M. M. Taher, N. Shahzad P60 Modification of the microbiom constitution in the gut using chicken IgY antibodies resulted in a reduction of acute graft-versus-host disease after experimental bone marrow transplantation A. Bouazzaoui, E. Huber, A. Dan, F. A. Al-Allaf, W. Herr, G. Sprotte, J. Köstler, A. Hiergeist, A. Gessner, R. Andreesen, E. Holler P61 Compound heterozygous mutation in the LDLR gene in Saudi patients suffering severe hypercholesterolemia F. Al-Allaf, A. Alashwal, Z. Abduljaleel, M. Taher, A. Bouazzaoui, H. Abalkhail, A. Al-Allaf, R. Bamardadh, M. Athar

The associations of vascular endothelial growth factor gene polymorphisms with susceptibility to osteosarcoma: evidence from a meta-analysis

Several studies have investigated the associations of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene polymorphisms with the susceptibility to osteosarcoma, while their conclusions are conflicting. This meta-analysis was performed to provide a comprehensive assessment on those associations. Electronic bibliographic databases were searched for potential studies focused on the relationship between VEGF polymorphisms and the susceptibility to osteosarcoma on 10 December 2015. Pooled odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were conducted to assess the associations. After strict screening process, six articles consisted of 1220 osteosarcoma patients and 1576 controls were selected. The pooled results suggested that VEGF-2578C/A polymorphism was significantly associated with osteosarcoma risk in all genetic models as well as VEGF-634G/C polymorphism. When it came to VEGF+936C/T polymorphism, we detected significant associations under allele contrast, heterozygote, dominant and recessive models. As to VEFG-460T/C polymorphism, significant associations were demonstrated in allele contrast and heterozygote models. With regard to VEGF-1156G/A polymorphism, significant association was observed only in alleles contrast model. However, there was no significant association between VEGF-1612G/A polymorphism and risk of osteosarcoma. This meta-analysis suggests that these polymorphisms comprised of VEGF-2578C/A, VEGF-1156G/A, VEGF+936C/T, VEGF-634G/C and VEGF-460T/C are associated with osteosarcoma risk in Chinese Han population.

Macrophage Cell Membrane Camouflaged Au Nanoshells for in Vivo Prolonged Circulation Life and Enhanced Cancer Photothermal Therapy

Macrophage cell membrane (MPCM)-camouflaged gold nanoshells (AuNS) that can serve as a new generation of photothermal conversion agents for in vivo photothermal cancer therapy are presented. They are constructed by the fusion of biocompatible AuNSs and MPCM vesicles. The resulting MPCM-coated AuNSs exhibited good colloidal stability and kept the original near-infrared (NIR) adsorption of AuNSs. Because AuNS carried high-density coverage of MPCMs, the totally functional portions of macrophage cells membrane were grafted onto the surface of AuNSs. This surface functionalization provided active targeting ability by recognizing tumor endothelium and thus improved tumoritropic accumulation compared to the red blood cell membrane-coating approach. These biomimetic nanoparticles significantly enhance in vivo blood circulation time and local accumulation at the tumor when administered systematically. Upon NIR laser irradiation, local heat generated by the MPCM-coated AuNS achieves high efficiency to suppress tumor growth and selectively ablate cancerous cells within the illuminated zone. Therefore, MPCM-coated AuNSs remained the natural properties of their source cells, which may improve the efficacy of photothermal therapy modulated by AuNSs and other noble-metal nanoparticles.

Activation of PPARγ/P53 signaling is required for curcumin to induce hepatic stellate cell senescence

Activation of quiescent hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is the major event in hepatic fibrogenesis, along with enhancement of cell proliferation and overproduction of extracellular matrix. Although inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis are potential strategies to block the activation of HSCs, a better understanding of the senescence of activated HSCs can provide a new therapeutic strategy for prevention and treatment of liver fibrosis. The antioxidant curcumin, a phytochemical from turmeric, has been shown to suppress HSC activation in vitro and in vivo. The current work was aimed to evaluate the effect of curcumin on senescence of activated HSCs and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. In this study, curcumin promoted the expression of senescence marker Hmga1 in rat fibrotic liver. In addition, curcumin increased the number of senescence-associated β-galactosidase-positive HSCs in vitro. At the same time, curcumin induced HSC senescence by elevating the expression of senescence markers P16, P21 and Hmga1, concomitant with reduced abundance of HSC activation markers α-smooth muscle actin and α1(I)-procollagen in cultured HSCs. Moreover, curcumin affected the cell cycle and telomerase activity. We further demonstrated that P53 pharmacological inhibitor pifithrin-α (PFT-α) or transfection with P53 siRNA abrogated the curcumin-induced HSC senescence in vitro. Meanwhile, curcumin disruption of P53 leading to increased senescence of activated HSCs was further verified in vivo. Further studies indicated that curcumin promoted the expression of P53 through a PPARγ activation-dependent mechanism. Moreover, promoting PPARγ transactivating activity by a PPARγ agonist 15d-PGJ2 markedly enhanced curcumin induction of senescence of activated HSCs. However, the PPARγ antagonist PD68235 eliminated curcumin induction of HSC senescence. Taken together, our results provided a novel insight into the mechanisms underlying curcumin inhibition of HSC activation through inducing senescence.

Prenatal Iron Deficiency and Auditory Brainstem Responses at 3 and 10 Months: A Pilot Study

PURPOSE

To examine whether prenatal iron deficiency delays auditory brainstem response (ABR) maturation in infancy.

METHODS

One hundred and fifteen full-term healthy Chinese infants with maternal and cord blood haemoglobin and serum ferritin determinations were recruited into this study. Forty-eight infants received ABR testing at 3 months, and 45 infants were tested at 10 months. Comparison of the ABR variables were made between infants with and those without evidence of prenatal iron deficiency (maternal 3rd trimester haemoglobin <110 g/L, cord blood ferritin <75 μg/L); or anaemia at 10 months (haemoglobin <110 g/L).

RESULTS

Latencies for wave V and wave III-V and I-V intervals were prolonged at 3 months in infants of anaemic mothers (effect sizes 1.02-1.19 SD). At 10 months, infants with low cord blood serum ferritin (indicating low iron stores at birth) showed longer wave I latency and possibly wave V latency also, besides demonstrating a smaller wave V amplitude (effect sizes 0.58-0.62 SD). Infants with low ferritin at birth and anemia at 10 months had longer wave III-V latency than other groups.

CONCLUSION

In full-term healthy infants, prenatal iron deficiency appears to have adverse effects on the developing central nervous system and auditory system as assessed by ABRs at 3 and/or 10 months.

Biointerfacing polymeric microcapsules for in vivo near-infrared light-triggered drug release

Seeking safe and effective water-soluble drug carriers is of great significance in nanomedicine. To achieve this goal, we present a novel drug delivery system based on biointerfacing hollow polymeric microcapsules for effectively encapsulating water-soluble antitumor drug and gold nanorod (GNR) functionalization for triggered release of therapeutic drugs on-demand using low power near-infrared (NIR) radiation. The surface of polymeric microcapsules is covered with fluidic lipid bilayers to decrease the permeability of the wall of polymeric capsules. The temperature increase upon NIR illumination deconstructs the structure of the lipid membrane and polyelectrolyte multilayers, which in turn results in the rapid release of encapsulated water-soluble drug. In vivo antitumor tests demonstrate that this microcapsule has the effective ability of inhibiting tumor growth and preventing metastases. Real time in vivo fluorescence imaging results confirm that capsules can be excreted gradually from the animal body which in turn demonstrates the biocompatibility and biodegradation of these biointerfacing GNR-microcapsules. This intelligent system provides a novel anticancer platform with the advantages of controlled release, biological friendliness and credible biosafety.

Gray Matter Volume Reduction Is Associated with Cognitive Impairment in Neuromyelitis Optica

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Whether gray matter impairment occurs in neuromyelitis optica is a matter of ongoing debate, and the association of gray matter impairment with cognitive deficits remains largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate gray matter volume reductions and their association with cognitive decline in patients with neuromyelitis optica.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study included 50 patients with neuromyelitis optica and 50 sex-, age-, handedness-, and education-matched healthy subjects who underwent high-resolution structural MR imaging examinations and a battery of cognitive assessments. Gray matter volume and cognitive differences were compared between the 2 groups. The correlations of the regional gray matter volume with cognitive scores and clinical variables were explored in the patients with neuromyelitis optica.

RESULTS

Compared with healthy controls (635.9 ± 51.18 mL), patients with neuromyelitis optica (602.8 ± 51.03 mL) had a 5.21% decrease in the mean gray matter volume of the whole brain (P < .001). The significant gray matter volume reduction in neuromyelitis optica affected the frontal and temporal cortices and the right thalamus (false discovery rate correction, P < .05). The regional gray matter volumes in the frontal and temporal cortices were negatively correlated with disease severity in patients with neuromyelitis optica (Alphasim correction, P < .05). Patients with neuromyelitis optica had impairments in memory, information processing speed, and verbal fluency (P < .05), which were correlated with gray matter volume reductions in the medial prefrontal cortex and thalamus (Alphasim correction, P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Gray matter volume reduction is present in patients with neuromyelitis optica and is associated with cognitive impairment and disease severity in this group.

Macrophage Cell Membrane Camouflaged Mesoporous Silica Nanocapsules for In Vivo Cancer Therapy

Engineering natural macrophage cell membrane-camouflaged mesoporous silica nanocapsules can reduce the arrested percentage of immune cells and tissues, effectively prolong the survival time of nanoparticles in blood circulation system, and improve the accumulation in tumor.

Spectral and spatial resolving of photoelectric property of femtosecond laser drilled holes of GaSb(1-x)Bi(x)

Femtosecond laser drilled holes of GaSbBi were characterized by the joint measurements of photoconductivity (PC) spectroscopy and laser-beam-induced current (LBIC) mapping. The excitation light in PC was focused down to 60 μm presenting the spectral information of local electronic property of individual holes. A redshift of energy band edge of about 6-8 meV was observed by the PC measurement when the excitation light irradiated on the laser drilled holes. The spatial resolving of photoelectric property was achieved by the LBIC mapping which shows "pseudo-holes" with much larger dimensions than the geometric sizes of the holes. The reduced LBIC current with the pseudo-holes is associated with the redshift effect indicating that the electronic property of the rim areas of the holes is modified by the femtosecond laser drilling.

Realization of Vertically Aligned, Ultrahigh Aspect Ratio InAsSb Nanowires on Graphite

The monolithic integration of InAs(1-x)Sb(x) semiconductor nanowires on graphitic substrates holds enormous promise for cost-effective, high-performance, and flexible devices in optoelectronics and high-speed electronics. However, the growth of InAs(1-x)Sb(x) nanowires with high aspect ratio essential for device applications is extremely challenging due to Sb-induced suppression of axial growth and enhancement in radial growth. We report the realization of high quality, vertically aligned, nontapered and ultrahigh aspect ratio InAs(1-x)Sb(x) nanowires with Sb composition (xSb(%)) up to ∼12% grown by indium-droplet assisted molecular beam epitaxy on graphite substrate. Low temperature photoluminescence measurements show that the InAs(1-x)Sb(x) nanowires exhibit bright band-to-band related emission with a distinct redshift as a function of Sb composition providing further confirmation of successful Sb incorporation in as-grown nanowires. This study reveals that the graphite substrate is a more favorable platform for InAs(1-x)Sb(x) nanowires that could lead to hybrid heterostructures possessing potential device applications in optoelectronics.

ICAM-1 suppresses tumor metastasis by inhibiting macrophage M2 polarization through blockade of efferocytosis

Efficient clearance of apoptotic cells (efferocytosis) can profoundly influence tumor-specific immunity. Tumor-associated macrophages are M2-polarized macrophages that promote key processes in tumor progression. Efferocytosis stimulates M2 macrophage polarization and contributes to cancer metastasis, but the signaling mechanism underlying this process is unclear. Intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is a transmembrane glycoprotein member of the immunoglobulin superfamily, which has been implicated in mediating cell–cell interaction and outside-in cell signaling during the immune response. We report that ICAM-1 expression is inversely associated with macrophage infiltration and the metastasis index in human colon tumors by combining Oncomine database analysis and immunohistochemistry for ICAM-1. Using a colon cancer liver metastasis model in ICAM-1-deficient (ICAM-1^−/−) mice and their wild-type littermates, we found that loss of ICAM-1 accelerated liver metastasis of colon carcinoma cells. Moreover, ICAM-1 deficiency increased M2 macrophage polarization during tumor progression. We further demonstrated that ICAM-1 deficiency in macrophages led to promotion of efferocytosis of apoptotic tumor cells through activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/Akt signaling pathway. More importantly, coculture of ICAM-1^−/− macrophages with apoptotic cancer cells resulted in an increase of M2-like macrophages, which was blocked by an efferocytosis inhibitor. Our findings demonstrate a novel role for ICAM-1 in suppressing M2 macrophage polarization via downregulation of efferocytosis in the tumor microenvironment, thereby inhibiting metastatic tumor progression.

Risk factors for respiratory failure with tetraplegia after acute traumatic cervical spinal cord injury

OBJECTIVE

To analyze risk factors for respiratory failure with tetraplegia after acute traumatic cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Total 180 tetraplegia cases after acute traumatic CSCI treated in Shanghai Changzheng Hospital from 2001 to 2011 were reviewed retrospectively and the frequency of respiratory failure in these patients were analyzed against the factors including age, gender, cause of injury, level/severity of injury, high-dose methylprednisolone (MP) therapy, and surgery intervention, using Chi-square test to look into the correlations of the prevalence of respiratory failure to those factors.

RESULTS

Of the 180 tetraplegia with acute traumatic CSCI, 29 patients (16.11%) developed respiratory failure. The factors, including age, level and severity of injury, high-dose MP therapy, and surgery intervention, were found to significantly correlate with the appearance of respiratory failure in tetraplegia after acute traumatic CSCI (p < 0.05), while no significant correlation was found between the other factors: gender and cause of injury and the frequency of respiratory failure.

CONCLUSIONS

Age, level/severity of injury, high-dose MP therapy, and surgery intervention are the four major relevant factors of respiratory failure in patients with acute traumatic CSCI. The appropriate and timing treatments involving high-dose MP therapy and surgical decompression and reconstruction can substantially increase the rates of clinical improvements and reduce the frequency of respiratory failure.

The role of spironolactone in the metabolism of serum type I collagen in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore the possible mechanism of spironolactone in reduction of atrial fibrosis in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

67 patients with atrial fibrillation and 30 matching patients with sinus rhythm were included into this study, in which the former patients were randomly divided into the conventional treatment group (33 cases) and spironolactone (20 mg/d) treatment group (34 cases). They underwent follow-ups for 6 months. The levels of serum aldosterone, PICP (propeptide of type I procollagen) and CITP (carboxy-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type I collagen) were determined before and after treatment.

RESULTS

The concentrations of serum PICP, CITP and aldosterone and left atrial size in the atrial fibrillation group were all higher than the control group (t values were 7.982, 5.950, 9.309, 9.050, respectively, p < 0.01), with a significant statistical difference. The concentrations of serum PICP and aldosterone were both positively corelated to the left atrial size in the atrial fibrillation group (r values were 0.302 and 0.369, respectively). The levels of serum aldosterone and PICP after treatment were both decreased compared to those before treatment in the spironolactone treatment group and conventional treatment group, especially in the spironolactone treatment group. There were statistical differences in the levels of serum aldosterone and PICP after treatment between the two groups (t values were 2.872 and 3.054, respectively, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Spironolactone could reduce the levels of serum aldosterone and PICP in patients with atrial fibrillation, so as to reduce the atrial fibrosis and delay the occurrence and development of atrial fibrillation.

Two biomarker-directed randomized trials in European and Chinese patients with nonsmall-cell lung cancer: the BRCA1-RAP80 Expression Customization (BREC) studies

BACKGROUND

In a Spanish Lung Cancer Group (SLCG) phase II trial, the combination of BRCA1 and receptor-associated protein 80 (RAP80) expression was significantly associated with outcome in Caucasian patients with nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The SLCG therefore undertook an industry-independent collaborative randomized phase III trial comparing nonselected cisplatin-based chemotherapy with therapy customized according to BRCA1/RAP80 expression. An analogous randomized phase II trial was carried out in China under the auspices of the SLCG to evaluate the effect of BRCA1/RAP80 expression in Asian patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Eligibility criteria included stage IIIB-IV NSCLC and sufficient tumor specimen for molecular analysis. Randomization to the control or experimental arm was 1 : 1 in the SLCG trial and 1 : 3 in the Chinese trial. In both trials, patients in the control arm received docetaxel/cisplatin; in the experimental arm, patients with low RAP80 expression received gemcitabine/cisplatin, those with intermediate/high RAP80 expression and low/intermediate BRCA1 expression received docetaxel/cisplatin, and those with intermediate/high RAP80 expression and high BRCA1 expression received docetaxel alone. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS).

RESULTS

Two hundred and seventy-nine patients in the SLCG trial and 124 in the Chinese trial were assessable for PFS. PFS in the control and experimental arms in the SLCG trial was 5.49 and 4.38 months, respectively [log rank P = 0.07; hazard ratio (HR) 1.28; P = 0.03]. In the Chinese trial, PFS was 4.74 and 3.78 months, respectively (log rank P = 0.82; HR 0.95; P = 0.82).

CONCLUSION

Accrual was prematurely closed on the SLCG trial due to the absence of clinical benefit in the experimental over the control arm. However, the BREC studies provide proof of concept that an international, nonindustry, biomarker-directed trial is feasible. Thanks to the groundwork laid by these studies, we expect that ongoing further research on alternative biomarkers to elucidate DNA repair mechanisms will help define novel therapeutic approaches.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT00617656/GECP-BREC and ChiCTR-TRC-12001860/BREC-CHINA.

Designing of the massive gas injection valve for the joint Texas experimental tokamak

In order to mitigate the negative effects of the plasma disruption a massive gas injection (MGI) valve is designed for the joint Texas experimental tokamak. The MGI valve is based on the eddy-current repulsion mechanism. It has a fueling volume of 30 ml. The piston of the MGI valve is made by non-ferromagnetic material, so it can be installed close to the vacuum vessel which has a strong toroidal magnetic field. A diode is use to prevent current oscillation in the discharge circuit. The drive coil of the valve is installed outside the gas chamber. The opening characteristics and the gas flow of the MGI valve have been tested by a 60 l vacuum chamber. Owing to the large electromagnetic force the reaction time of the valve is shorter than 0.3 ms. Duration for the opening of the MGI valve is in the order of 10 ms.

Matrine reduces yeast-to-hypha transition and resistance of a fluconazole-resistant strain of Candida albicans

AIMS

To evaluate the potential effect of matrine on reducing the growth of hypha and lowering the resistance of a fluconazole-resistant colony of Candida albicans.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Candida albicans SC5314 and a fluconazole-resistant C. albicans 215 were used. As for C. albicans SC5314, minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC(80)) and effective concentration (EC(50)) were determined, 1 mg ml(-1) matrine could inhibit nearly 80% of planktonic growth by inverted microscope, 2 mg ml(-1) matrine suppressed 50% of metabolic activity of biofilm by XTT assay, vanishing hypha could be observed on spider agar containing 2 mg ml(-1) matrine, the expressions of three hypha-related genes, namely ALS 3, SUN 41 and PBS 2, were suppressed by 29, 45 and 61% by 2 mg ml(-1) matrine. Also, matrine could lower the resistance of C. albicans 215, in either the free-floating form or the biofilm phenotype.

CONCLUSIONS

Matrine had favourable antifungal potential and might be able to reverse the fluconazole resistance of clinical isolates at relatively high concentration. The anti-candidal performance of matrine could be tightly associated with yeast-to-hypha transition proved by spider agar test and qRT-PCR.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY

More efforts are needed to find new antifungal agents. Matrine could be a potential candidate to fight against Candida-related infections by regulating yeast-to-hypha transition.

Self-propelled Janus mesoporous silica nanomotors with sub-100 nm diameters for drug encapsulation and delivery

The synthesis of an innovative self-propelled Janus nanomotor with a diameter of about 75 nm that can be used as a drug carrier is described. The Janus nanomotor is based on mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) with chromium/platinum metallic caps and propelled by decomposing hydrogen peroxide to generate oxygen as a driving force with speeds up to 20.2 μm s(-1) (about 267 body lengths per second). The diffusion coefficient (D) of nanomotors with different H2 O2 concentrations is calculated by tracking the movement of individual particles recorded by means of a self-assembled fluorescence microscope and is significantly larger than free Brownian motion. The traction of a single Janus MSN nanomotor is estimated to be about 13.47×10(-15) N. Finally, intracellular localization and drug release in vitro shows that the amount of Janus MSN nanomotors entering the cells is more than MSNs with same culture time and particle concentrations, meanwhile anticancer drug doxorubicin hydrochloride loaded in Janus MSNs can be slowly released by biodegradation of lipid bilayers in cells.

The DNA double-strand break response is abnormal in myeloblasts from patients with therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia

The complex chromosomal aberrations found in therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (t-AML) suggest that the DNA double-strand break (DSB) response may be altered. In this study we examined the DNA DSB response of primary bone marrow cells from t-AML patients and performed next-generation sequencing of 37 canonical homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) DNA repair genes, and a subset of DNA damage response genes using tumor and paired normal DNA obtained from t-AML patients. Our results suggest that the majority of t-AML patients (11 of 15) have tumor-cell intrinsic, functional dysregulation of their DSB response. Distinct patterns of abnormal DNA damage response in myeloblasts correlated with acquired genetic alterations in TP53 and the presence of inferred chromothripsis. Furthermore, the presence of trisomy 8 in tumor cells was associated with persistently elevated levels of DSBs. Although tumor-acquired point mutations or small indels in canonical HR and NHEJ genes do not appear to be a dominant means by which t-AML leukemogenesis occurs, our functional studies suggest that an abnormal response to DNA damage is a common finding in t-AML.

Probe of the solar magnetic field using the "cosmic-ray shadow" of the sun

We report on a clear solar-cycle variation of the Sun’s shadow in the 10 TeV cosmic-ray flux observed by the Tibet air shower array during a full solar cycle from 1996 to 2009. In order to clarify the physical implications of the observed solar cycle variation, we develop numerical simulations of the Sun’s shadow, using the potential field source surface model and the current sheet source surface (CSSS) model for the coronal magnetic field. We find that the intensity deficit in the simulated Sun’s shadow is very sensitive to the coronal magnetic field structure, and the observed variation of the Sun’s shadow is better reproduced by the CSSS model. This is the first successful attempt to evaluate the coronal magnetic field models by using the Sun’s shadow observed in the TeV cosmic-ray flux.

RANKL promotes the growth of decidual stromal cells in an autocrine manner via CCL2/CCR2 interaction in human early pregnancy

OBJECTIVE

Receptor-activator of NF-κB ligand (TNFSF11, also known as RANKL) and its receptor RANK are essential regulators on bone remodeling, mammary gland development and hormone-associated breast cancer development. However, the expression pattern and role of RANKL/RANK axis in decidual stromal cells (DSCs) are unclear in human early pregnancy.

STUDY DESIGN

We analyzed RANKL/RANK expression in DSCs by real-time PCR, immunhistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and flow cytometry, respectively. Then BrdU cell proliferation assay, flow cytometry assay and ELISA were performed to investigate the effect of recombinant human RANKL and DSCs-derived RANKL on the proliferation, apoptosis, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) secretion, C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2) and other target proteins expression in DSCs in vitro, respectively.

RESULTS

Here we show that DSCs co-express RANKL/RANK. Not only recombinant human (rh) RANKL but also the DSC-secreted RANKL stimulate proliferation and anti-apoptosis, and elevate CCL2 secretion and CCR2 expression of DSCs. Furthermore, the stimulatory effects on the proliferation, anti-apoptosis and the expression of Bcl-2 and Ki67 and inhibitory signaling on Fas ligand (FasL) in DSCs induced by RANKL can be partly reversed by the way of blocking CCL2 and or CCR2.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results have revealed that RANKL/RANK signal promotes Bcl-2 and Ki67 and decreases FasL expression, and further as a positive regulator for stimulating the proliferation and growth of DSCs through up-regulating CCL2/CCR2 signal, which finally contributes to the establishment and maintenance of physiological pregnancy.

Clonal diversity of recurrently mutated genes in myelodysplastic syndromes

Recent studies suggest that most cases of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) are clonally heterogeneous, with a founding clone and multiple subclones. It is not known whether specific gene mutations typically occur in founding clones or subclones. We screened a panel of 94 candidate genes in a cohort of 157 patients with MDS or secondary acute myeloid leukemia (sAML). This included 150 cases with samples obtained at MDS diagnosis and 15 cases with samples obtained at sAML transformation (8 were also analyzed at the MDS stage). We performed whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to define the clonal architecture in eight sAML genomes and identified the range of variant allele frequencies (VAFs) for founding clone mutations. At least one mutation or cytogenetic abnormality was detected in 83% of the 150 MDS patients and 17 genes were significantly mutated (false discovery rate ≤0.05). Individual genes and patient samples displayed a wide range of VAFs for recurrently mutated genes, indicating that no single gene is exclusively mutated in the founding clone. The VAFs of recurrently mutated genes did not fully recapitulate the clonal architecture defined by WGS, suggesting that comprehensive sequencing may be required to accurately assess the clonal status of recurrently mutated genes in MDS.

Gestational hypertension risk evaluation based on epidemiological, biochemical, and hemodynamic factors

PURPOSE

Gestational hypertension (GH) is a serious health hazard for pregnant women and fetuses. The incidence of GH involves many epidemiological, biochemical, and hemodynamic factors.

METHODS

The current study investigated the GH risk under the influence of epidemiological, biochemical, and hemodynamic factors, and designed corresponding GH risk evaluation methods and apparatus.

RESULTS

The evaluation method has 74.15% sensitivity and 81.84% specificity. The ROC area under the curve is 0.841. The apparatus automatically imports epidemiological, biochemical, and hemodynamic factors, and then expresses the GH risk as numbers, bar codes, and colors through logic array analysis.

CONCLUSION

The GH risk value can effectively give the risk level of GH. The GH risk barcode can improve the degree of automation of information storage, transmission, and identification in GH monitoring. The GH risk color can also improve the GH macro description.

SLC34A2 Gene mutation of pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis: report of four cases and review of literatures

Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis (PAM) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by the deposition of calcium phosphate microliths throughout the lungs. Currently the mutation of SLC34A2 gene was considered responsible for PAM. Here we reported the studies on mutation analysis of the SLC34A2 gene in three familial members and one unrelated subject of PAM by DNA direct sequencing. Meanwhile, we also reviewed and analyzed the published studies of the SLC34A2 gene mutation in PAM patients. The three familial patients were siblings of an inbred family whose parents were cousins. All four patients presented recurrent cough and exertional dyspnea. Diagnosis of PAM was made according to the typical manifestation of radiology. One homozygous mutation of the SLC34A2 gene, c.910A > T (p.K304X) was identified. The review of the SLC34A2 gene mutation showed multiple mutation symbols in PAM patients from China, Turkey, and Japan respectively. The present study supports that the clinical features, pathological and radiological characteristics of Chinese PAM patients are similar to those reported in other countries. Our investigation revealed that the c.910A > T mutation in the SCL34A2 gene was responsible for PAM patients in China. The review of literatures suggests that exon7 and exon8 seemed liable to be affected typical Mongoloid of PAM, and exon8 might be the screen target for Chinese patients.

Association of leptin receptor gene polymorphisms and essential hypertension in a Chinese population

BACKGROUND

The leptin receptor (LEPR) is an important regulator of leptin activity and resistance. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of LEPR have been linked to diseases accompanying obesity and/or obesity-related diseases in different populations. However, the results from published studies remain inconsistent rather than conclusive.

AIM

To investigate whether LEPR SNP are associated with essential hypertension and related metabolic traits in Chinese subjects.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 544 Chinese patients with hypertension and 357 non-hypertensive subjects were screened. The genotypes of LEPR polymorphisms were determined by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism methods. Demographic and biochemical characteristics including waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, body mass index (BMI), lipids profiles, glucose metabolism, and leptin levels were obtained for analysis.

RESULTS

This case-control study showed associations between the frequencies of AA genotype and A allele of Gln223Arg and hypertension (p=0.029, p=0.002, respectively). Furthermore, the Gln223Arg polymorphism was significantly associated with plasma leptin levels (p<0.001), while no correlations between Lys109Arg SNP and hypertension were found. Multivariate logistic regression analysis evidenced that A allele carriers of Gln223Arg (AA+AG) showed higher risks of hypertension than GG carriers after adjustment of age and sex (adjusted odds ratio: 1.549, 95% confidence interval: 1.031- 2.036, p=0.035). BMI, fasting serum insulin, oral glucose tolernace test (OGTT)-2h glucose, serum leptin, as well as LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were also independent risk factors of hypertension in this population. In addition, significant associations were observed between the Gln223Arg and Lys109Arg SNP and serum total cholesterol, LDL-C, and fasting plasma glucose levels in hypertensive patients. Besides, A allele of Gln223Arg had raised diastolic blood pressure, compared with GG carriers (p=0.001). While variance of Lys109Arg was associated with waist-to-hip ratio, OGTT-2h glucose, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

LEPR polymorphisms may be a marker for susceptibility to essential hypertension in Chinese subjects, and be involved in the development of several features including dyslipidemia and impaired glucose regulation in hypertension subjects.

Improvement of glucose tolerance by rhein with restored early-phase insulin secretion in db/db mice

AIMS

In the present study, we investigated whether rhein exerted hypoglycemic action and rhein's effect on the pancreatic β cell in db/db mice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty 4-week-old db/db mice were randomized to treatment with rhein (120 mg/kg) (no.=15) and placebo (1% natrium cellulose solution) (no.=15) for 8 weeks, respectively. Fifteen age-matched non-diabetic littermates db/m mice treated with placebo were studied as non-diabetic control. After an 8-week treatment, ip glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) and arginine tolerance test were performed. Area under curve (AUC) of insulin levels in IPGTT was calculated to evaluate insulin secretory function. Immunohistochemical staining of insulin was performed to estimate β cell mass. TUNEL assay was performed to determine β cell apoptosis. Islet isolation and perifusion were performed to evaluate kinetics of insulin release in vitro, especially first-phase insulin.

RESULTS

Compared with control group, AUC of glucose concentrations significantly decreased in the rhein-treated group (p<0.05). Simultaneously, AUC of insulin levels increased in the rhein-treated group (p<0.05), especially in the first 30 min after glucose load. Perifusion showed that the rhein-treated group manifested a significantly increase of first-phase insulin secretion. Immunohistochemical study and TUNEL assay showed that rhein treatment greatly preserved β cell mass and inhibited β cell apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Rhein treatment significantly improved glucose- dependent and independent insulin secretion by preservation of β cell mass and inhibition of β cell apoptosis in db/db mice. The characteristics of rhein may make it a novel therapeutic means for preventing from or curing diabetes in the near future.

Improved glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by intra-islet inhibition of protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B expression in rats fed a high-fat diet

BACKGROUND

Insulin resistance of pancreatic β-cell itself may be a potential link between systemic insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion in Type 2 diabetes. Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) dephosphorylates tyrosine residues in insulin receptors (IR) and IR substrate (IRS) proteins, and thereby inhibits insulin signaling. Thus the impact of PTP1B expression on β-cell insulin pathway may affect insulin secretory function.

AIM

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of intra-islet inhibition of PTP1B expression on glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and potential mechanisms in rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty 10-week-old Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned to a regular diet (RD) or a HFD for 8 weeks. At the end of the 8th week, fasting glucose, fasting insulin concentration and lipid profile were measured and an oral glucose tolerance test was done after 12-h fast. Then islet isolation was performed for static incubation and perifusion. Recombinant adenoviruses containing siPTP1B (Ad-siPTP1B), or siControl (Ad-siControl) sequences were constructed using AdEasy™ system. Islets were transfected and then assigned to the Ad-siPTP1B group, the Ad-siControl group, and mock control group. Real-time RT-PCR and Western blot were used to evaluate the expression level of PTP1B. Western blot of glucose transporter 2 (GLUT-2) and glucokinsase were also done to investigate the β-cell glucose-sensing apparatus. Islets were incubated with Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate containing 2.8 mmol/l glucose then 16.7 mmol/l glucose to evaluate glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). Islet perifusion was also performed to evaluate kinetics of insulin release in vitro.

RESULTS

HFD rats manifested modest glucose intolerance compared with RD group. And PTP1B expression in isolated islets of rats in the HFD group was higher than that of the RD group. GSIS was impaired in islets of HFD rats (2.3±0.5-fold as basal for HFD vs 8.1±1.3-fold for RD; p<0.05). Ad-siPTP1B treatment resulted in 73% decrease in PTP1B mRNA levels and 61% decrease in PTP1B protein compared with islets treated with Ad-siControl (p<0.05). Simultaneously, PTP1B inhibition resulted in 4.7±0.8-fold increase of GSIS from basal (vs 1.9±0.1-fold for Ad-siControl, p<0.05). Perifusion showed notable improvement of first-phase insulin secretion by AdsiPTP1B treatment. Significant decrease of both GLUT-2 (by 49.8%) and glucokinase (GCK, by 43.7%) were found in the HFD group when compared with the RD group, while up-regulation of both GLUT-2 (by 98%) and GCK (by 62%) was achieved after PTP1B inhibiton by Ad-siPTP1B.

CONCLUSIONS

Intra-islet PTP1B is an important physiological regulator of glucose-induced insulin release and the characteristics of PTP1B inhibitors in insulin secretion could make it a potential novel therapeutics for protection of β-cell secretory function in Type 2 diabetes.

Waist-to-height ratio, an optimal predictor for obesity and metabolic syndrome in Chinese adults

OBJECTIVE

Anthropometric indices to obesity were evaluated as predictors of metabolic syndrome risk factors. Our purpose was to explore an optimal or more reliable anthropometric indicator and optimal cut-off points for obesity on metabolic syndrome in Chinese adults.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

The survey was conducted involving 2947 participants, aged 20 or above with cross-sectional study of population. The predictive validity and optimal cut-off values were analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, area under curve (AUC) and the largest Youden's index (sensitivity + specificity - 1) by gender group, respectively. Kappa value showed diagnostic consistency.

RESULTS

According to the criteria of CDS 2004, IDF 2005 and AHA/NHLBI 2005, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 10.32%, 9.64% and 16.12% respectively, which indicated that the prevalence was higher in men than in women and increased with age (P < 0.05). The BMI, WC, WHR and WHtR in metabolic syndrome patients were greater than those in healthy volunteers and the indices in men were higher than those in women. With adjusted age and gender, the partial correlation coefficient for BMI-WC, BMI-WHR and BMI-WHtR was 0.7991, 0.5278 and 0.8196, respectively (P < 0.05). The area under curves (AUCs) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for WHtR was larger (P < 0.05) than that for WC and WHR. The cut-point of WHtR was approximately 0.5 in both genders with a satisfactory balance between sensitivity and specificity, where the Kappa (k) value for WHtR-BMI was higher than that for WHtR-WHR, and WHtR-WC.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicated that WHtR might be an optimal anthropometric predictor of metabolic syndrome risk factors and the cut-point of WHtR was approximately 0.50 in both genders of Chinese adults.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B gene polymorphisms and essential hypertension: a case-control study in Chinese population

BACKGROUND

Protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP)- 1B, encoded by the PTPN1 gene, negatively regulates insulin signaling by dephosphorylating the phosphotyrosine residues of the insulin receptor kinase activation segment. Several rare single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) have been linked to diseases accompanying insulin resistance such as Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and dyslipidemia in different populations.

AIM

To investigate whether PTP-1B SNP are associated with hypertension and hypertension-related metabolic traits in Chinese subjects.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 239 Chinese patients with hypertension and 141 non-hypertensive subjects were screened. The genotypes of PTP-1B gene polymorphisms were determined by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism methods.

RESULTS

The case-control study showed associations between the frequencies of T allelic g54281 T>A and A allele of I5/37C>A and hypertension (p<0.0001, p=0.0371, respectively). In addition, significant associations were observed between the IVS6+G82A polymorphism and waist circumference, total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol levels in hypertensive patients (p=0.0005 approximately 0.0260). And g54281 T allele was associated with higher plasma triglyceride (p=0.0390) and LDL-cholesterol concentration (p=0.0141), while g58585 T>C was associated with body mass index (BMI) (p=0.0308), waist circumference (p=0.0216), and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (p=0.047). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that T allele carriers of g54281T>A and A allele carriers of I5/37C>A had higher risks of hypertension independent of age, gender, BMI, glucose levels, and lipids profiles [odds ratio (OR): 1.79, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.09- 2.96, p=0.02; OR: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.13-2.44, p=0.01, respectively].

CONCLUSIONS

PTP-1B polymorphisms contribute to pathogenesis of hypertension in Chinese subjects and PTP-1B SNP may be involved in the development of several features including dyslipidemia and obesity in hypertensive subjects.

Femtosecond laser-drilling-induced HgCdTe photodiodes

Femtosecond-laser drilling may induce holes in HgCdTe with morphology similar to that induced by ion-milling in loophole technique. So-formed hole structures are proven to be pn junction diodes by the laser beam induced current characterization as well as the conductivity measurement. Transmission and photoluminescence spectral measurements on a n-type dominated hole-array structure give rise to different results from those of an ion-milled sample.