Assessing the role of endophytic bacteria in the halophyte Arthrocnemum macrostachyum salt tolerance

There is an increasing interest to use halophytes for revegetation of salt affected ecosystems, as well as in understanding their mechanisms of salt tolerance. We hypothesized that bacteria from the phyllosphere of these plants might play a key role in its high tolerance to excessive salinity. Eight endophytic bacteria belonging to Bacillus and closely related genera were isolated from phyllosphere of the halophyte Arthrocnemum macrostachyum growing in salty agricultural soils. The presence of plant-growth promoting (PGP) properties, enzymatic activities and tolerance towards NaCl was determined. Effects of inoculation on seeds germination and adult plant growth under experimental NaCl treatments (0, 510 and 1030 mM NaCl) were studied. Inoculation with a consortium including the best performing bacteria improved considerably the kinetics of germination and the final germination percentage of A. macrostachyum seeds. At high NaCl concentrations (1030 mM), inoculation of plants mitigated the effects of high salinity on plant growth and physiological performance and, in addition, this consortium appears to have increased the potential of A. macrostachyum to accumulate Na⁺ in its shoots, thus improving sodium phytoextraction capacity. Bacteria isolated from A. macrostachyum phyllosphere seem to play an important role in plant salt tolerance under stressing salt concentrations. The combined use of A. macrostachyum and its microbiome can be an adequate tool to enhance plant adaptation and sodium phytoextraction during restoration of salt degraded soils.

Low-toxicity metallosomes for biomedical applications by self-assembly of organometallic metallosurfactants and phospholipids

New photo-CORM metallosomes prepared by a straightforward method from organometallic metallosurfactants and phospholipids show a drastic diminution of cell toxicity.

NOR-1/NR4A3 regulates the cellular inhibitor of apoptosis 2 (cIAP2) in vascular cells: role in the survival response to hypoxic stress

Vascular cell survival is compromised under pathological conditions such as abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). We have previously shown that the nuclear receptor NOR-1 is involved in the survival response of vascular cells to hypoxia. Here, we identify the anti-apoptotic protein cIAP2 as a downstream effector of NOR-1. NOR-1 and cIAP2 were up-regulated in human AAA samples, colocalizing in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). While NOR-1 silencing reduced cIAP2 expression in vascular cells, lentiviral over-expression of this receptor increased cIAP2 mRNA and protein levels. The transcriptional regulation of the human cIAP2 promoter was analyzed in cells over-expressing NOR-1 by luciferase reporter assays, electrophoretic mobility shift analysis and chromatin immunoprecipitation, identifying a NGFI-B site (NBRE-358/-351) essential for NOR-1 responsiveness. NOR-1 and cIAP2 were up-regulated by hypoxia and by a hypoxia mimetic showing a similar time-dependent pattern. Deletion and site-directed mutagenesis studies show that NOR-1 mediates the hypoxia-induced cIAP2 expression. While NOR-1 over-expression up-regulated cIAP2 and limited VSMC apoptosis induced by hypoxic stress, cIAP2 silencing partially prevented this NOR-1 pro-survival effect. These results indicate that cIAP2 is a target of NOR-1, and suggest that this anti-apoptotic protein is involved in the survival response to hypoxic stress mediated by NOR-1 in vascular cells.

Exploring correlation between bone metabolism markers and densitometric traits in extended families from Spain

Osteoporosis is a common multifactorial disorder characterized by low bone mass and reduced bone strength that may cause fragility fractures. In recent years, there have been substantial advancements in the biochemical monitoring of bone metabolism through the measurement of bone turnover markers. Currently, good knowledge of the genetics of such markers has become an indispensable part of osteoporosis research. In this study, we used the Genetic Analysis of Osteoporosis Project to study the genetics of the plasma levels of 12 markers related to bone metabolism and osteoporosis. Plasma phenotypes were determined through biochemical assays and log-transformed values were used together with a set of covariates to model genetic and environmental contributions to phenotypic variation, thus estimating the heritability of each trait. In addition, we studied correlations between the 12 markers and a wide variety of previously described densitometric traits. All of the 12 bone metabolism markers showed significant heritability, ranging from 0.194 for osteocalcin to 0.516 for sclerostin after correcting for covariate effects. Strong genetic correlations were observed between osteocalcin and several bone mineral densitometric traits, a finding with potentially useful diagnostic applications. In addition, suggestive genetic correlations with densitometric traits were observed for leptin and sclerostin. Overall, the few strong and several suggestive genetic correlations point out the existence of a complex underlying genetic architecture for bone metabolism plasma phenotypes and provide a strong motivation for pursuing novel whole-genome gene-mapping strategies.

Pretreatment count of peripheral neutrophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes as independent prognostic factor in patients with head and neck cancer

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to analyze the prognostic value of pretreatment count of peripheral neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

METHODS

Local, regional, and distant recurrence-free survival and disease-specific survival were analyzed according to the count of neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, and NLR.

RESULTS

We observed a decrease in disease-specific survival as the quartile category of neutrophils, monocytes, and NLR increased. In the case of lymphocytes, patients in the lower quartile had lower disease-specific survival. Considering the disease-specific survival as the dependent variable, a recursive partitioning analysis classified the patients according to the neutrophil and monocyte counts.

CONCLUSION

High pretreatment count of peripheral neutrophils and/or monocytes was independently related with worse prognosis in patients with HNSCC. Classification based on pretreatment neutrophil and monocyte counts enabled the identification of different prognostic profiles. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 219-226, 2017.

The prognostic value of pretreatment platelet count in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Thrombocytosis is commonly observed in patients with solid tumors. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic role of circulating pretreatment platelet count in a large series of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

METHODS

We retrospectively studied 824 patients with HNSCC treated at a single institution from 2000 to 2012. Disease-specific survival and local, regional, and distant recurrence-free survival were analyzed according to the distribution of the platelet count.

RESULTS

By defining the platelet count 250.05×10⁹/L as a cut-off point with the best predictive capacity, we classified the patients into two groups: those with a high platelet count (n=378, 45.9%), and those with a low platelet count (n=446, 54.1%). On univariate analysis, there were significant differences in disease-specific survival depending on pretreatment platelet count (P=0.001). The 5-year specific survival rates were 74.1% (CI 95%: 69.8-78.4%) and 61.6% (CI 95%: 56.4-66.8%) for patients with a low and high platelet count, respectively. According to the results of a multivariate analysis, patients with a high count of platelets had a tendency to a lower disease-specific survival, but the hazard ratio did not reach statistically significant differences (HR 1.24, CI 95%: 0.97-1.61, P=0.085).

CONCLUSION

Platelet count was significantly associated with survival in univariate analysis. However, in a multivariate analysis it lost its prognostic capacity, limiting its utility as a prognostic marker in patients with HNSCC. Considering separately each primary tumor location, patients with hypopharyngeal cancer and a high platelet count had a significant decrease of disease-specific survival.

Induction of histone deacetylases (HDACs) in human abdominal aortic aneurysm: therapeutic potential of HDAC inhibitors

Clinical management of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is currently limited to elective surgical repair because an effective pharmacotherapy is still awaited. Inhibition of histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity could be a promising therapeutic option in cardiovascular diseases. We aimed to characterise HDAC expression in human AAA and to evaluate the therapeutic potential of class I and IIa HDAC inhibitors in the AAA model of angiotensin II (Ang II)-infused apolipoprotein-E-deficient (ApoE^−/−) mice. Real-time PCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry evidenced an increased expression of HDACs 1, 2 (both class I), 4 and 7 (both class IIa) in abdominal aorta samples from patients undergoing AAA open repair (n=22) compared with those from donors (n=14). Aortic aneurysms from Ang-II-infused ApoE^−/− mice exhibited a similar HDAC expression profile. In these animals, treatment with a class I HDAC inhibitor (MS-275) or a class IIa inhibitor (MC-1568) improved survival, reduced the incidence and severity of AAA and limited aneurysmal expansion evaluated by Doppler ultrasonography. These beneficial effects were more potent in MC-1568-treated mice. The disorganisation of elastin and collagen fibres and lymphocyte and macrophage infiltration were effectively reduced by both inhibitors. Additionally, HDAC inhibition attenuated the exacerbated expression of pro-inflammatory markers and the increase in metalloproteinase-2 and -9 activity induced by Ang II in this model. Therefore, our data evidence that HDAC expression is deregulated in human AAA and that class-selective HDAC inhibitors limit aneurysm expansion in an AAA mouse model. New-generation HDAC inhibitors represent a promising therapeutic approach to overcome human aneurysm progression.

Summary: This study reports the upregulation of HDACs in human AAA, evidences that HDAC inhibitors limit aneurysm progression in a preclinical model and suggests the therapeutic interest of HDAC inhibition in AAA.

Anaerobic Metabolism in Haloferax Genus: Denitrification as Case of Study

A number of species of Haloferax genus (halophilic archaea) are able to grow microaerobically or even anaerobically using different alternative electron acceptors such as fumarate, nitrate, chlorate, dimethyl sulphoxide, sulphide and/or trimethylamine. This metabolic capability is also shown by other species of the Halobacteriaceae and Haloferacaceae families (Archaea domain) and it has been mainly tested by physiological studies where cell growth is observed under anaerobic conditions in the presence of the mentioned compounds. This work summarises the main reported features on anaerobic metabolism in the Haloferax, one of the better described haloarchaeal genus with significant potential uses in biotechnology and bioremediation. Special attention has been paid to denitrification, also called nitrate respiration. This pathway has been studied so far from Haloferax mediterranei and Haloferax denitrificans mainly from biochemical point of view (purification and characterisation of the enzymes catalysing the two first reactions). However, gene expression and gene regulation is far from known at the time of writing this chapter.

External validation of sTWEAK as a prognostic noninvasive biomarker for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The main purpose of this study was to validate the prognostic significance of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) using an independent cohort.

METHODS

Data were evaluated from 153 patients with HNSCC in stages III to IV, who received radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiotherapy. We quantified soluble TWEAK (sTWEAK) in pretreatment samples using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTS

The classification tree revealed a cutoff value of 322 pg/mL for sTWEAK to be ideal for discriminating between patients' disease control. Kaplan-Meier curves indicate that the disease-free survival rate in patients with high sTWEAK was significantly higher than in patients with low levels (p = .006, log-rank test). An independent link was identified between low sTWEAK and poor clinical outcome in Cox regression multivariate analysis (hazard ratio = 1.866; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.114-3.125; p = .001).

CONCLUSION

Our study highlights the significance of this noninvasive biomarker in the discrimination according to the disease control achieved by patients who received a nonsurgical organ-preservation treatment. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E1358-E1363, 2016.

Expression of IL-1α correlates with distant metastasis in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

The presence of IL-1 in human cancers is associated with aggressive tumor biology but its prognostic value is unknown. We studied whether IL-1α expression is a prognostic marker of distant metastasis in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). IL-1α mRNA and protein levels were determined in tumor samples and cancer cell lines using RT-PCR and ELISA. The effects of constitutive IL-1α expression by tumor lines were characterized. IL-1α mRNA and protein secretion were higher in tumor samples from patients who later developed distant metastasis than in patients who did not. By using distant metastasis as a dependent variable, patients were classified into two categories of IL-1α transcript-levels. The high-IL-1α group had a significantly lower five-year distant metastasis-free survival than the low-IL-1α group [70.0% (CI 95%: 55.9-84.1%) vs 94.7% (CI 95%:90.2-99.2%)]. When IL-1α transcript-levels were combined with clinical factors related to tumor metastasis, the predictive power of the model increased significantly. Additionally, transcript levels of IL-1α correlated significantly with those of the IL-1 family genes and genes related to the metastatic process. IL-1 treatment of microvascular endothelial cells increased adhesion of HNSCC cells but no differences were found based on constitutive IL-1α expression by tumor cells. Nevertheless, IL-1α produced by tumor cells effectively increased their transmigration across the endothelium. We found a significant relationship between IL-1α expression and development of distant metastasis in HNSCC patients. IL-1α expression could help to define a subset of patients at high risk of distant metastasis who could benefit from adjuvant treatment.

Cyclooxygenase-2 and Prostaglandin E2 Signaling through Prostaglandin Receptor EP-2 Favor the Development of Myocarditis during Acute Trypanosoma cruzi Infection

Inflammation plays an important role in the pathophysiology of Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi. Prostanoids are regulators of homeostasis and inflammation and are produced mainly by myeloid cells, being cyclooxygenases, COX-1 and COX-2, the key enzymes in their biosynthesis from arachidonic acid (AA). Here, we have investigated the expression of enzymes involved in AA metabolism during T. cruzi infection. Our results show an increase in the expression of several of these enzymes in acute T. cruzi infected heart. Interestingly, COX-2 was expressed by CD68⁺ myeloid heart-infiltrating cells. In addition, infiltrating myeloid CD11b⁺Ly6G^- cells purified from infected heart tissue express COX-2 and produce prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) ex vivo. T. cruzi infections in COX-2 or PGE₂-dependent prostaglandin receptor EP-2 deficient mice indicate that both, COX-2 and EP-2 signaling contribute significantly to the heart leukocyte infiltration and to the release of chemokines and inflammatory cytokines in the heart of T. cruzi infected mice. In conclusion, COX-2 plays a detrimental role in acute Chagas disease myocarditis and points to COX-2 as a potential target for immune intervention.

The role of prostanoids, products of the arachidonic acid pathway, during Trypanosoma cruzi infection has been studied by inhibiting key enzymes in prostanoid synthesis as cyclooxygenases (COX-1 and COX-2), with opposed results. Here we analyzed the expression of cyclooxygenases, prostanoid synthases and receptors in the heart of mice susceptible and non-susceptible to T. cruzi infection and found that they were highly increased respect to non-infected mice. We previously identified the presence of myeloid-derived suppressor cells expressing arginase-1 (Arg-1). Further analysis showed that COX-2 was expressed in Arg-1^- myeloid cells in heart tissue, suggesting the existence of different myeloid populations involved in the leukocyte infiltration (COX-2⁺Arg-1^-) and tissue repair (COX-2^-Arg-1⁺). Mice deficient in the expression of COX-2 and the prostaglandin PGE₂ receptor EP-2 infected with T. cruzi showed a marked reduction in the cardiac inflammatory infiltration in comparison with infected wild type mice, indicating an adverse effect of COX-2 and PGE₂ signaling through EP-2 receptor in the development of myocarditis during acute T. cruzi infection, suggesting the possibility of immune intervention using COX inhibitors.

Expression and Cellular Localization of 15-Hydroxy-Prostaglandin-Dehydrogenase in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

PGE₂ has been implicated in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) associated hypervascularization. PGE₂-metabolism involves 15-hydroxyprostaglandin-dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) the expression of which in AAA is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the expression and cell distribution of 15-PGDH in AAA. Here, we show that 15-PGDH mRNA levels were significantly higher in aorta samples from patients undergoing AAA repair than in those from healthy multiorgan donors. Consequently, the ratio of metabolized PGE₂ secreted by aortic samples was significantly higher in AAA. AAA production of total PGE₂ and PGE₂ metabolites correlated positively with PGI₂ production, while the percentage of metabolized PGE₂ correlated negatively with the total amount of PGE₂ and with PGI₂. Transcript levels of 15-PGDH were statistically associated with leukocyte markers but did not correlate with microvascular endothelial cell markers. Immunohistochemistry revealed 15-PGDH in the areas of leukocyte infiltration in AAA samples, mainly associated with CD45-positive cells, but not in normal aorta samples. We provide new data concerning 15-PGDH expression in human AAA, showing that 15-PGDH is upregulated in AAA and mainly expressed in infiltrating leukocytes. Our data suggest that microvasculature was not involved in PGE₂ catabolism, reinforcing the potential role of microvasculature derived PGE₂ in AAA-associated hypervascularization.

[Recommendations for the use of methotrexate in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis]

OBJECTIVES

To develop a consensus document of recommendations for the use of methotrexate (MTX) in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

MATERIAL AND METHOD

A group of eleven experts proposed several clinical questions on the use of MTX in patients with JIA. A systematic review was conducted and the evidence and recommendations for each question were extracted. The results were discussed and validated by the experts in a work session to establish the final recommendations.

RESULTS

MTX is recommended as the first drug for inducing remission in JIA, and its indication should be made according to the clinical category of the patient. Prior to treatment, it is recommended to perform a complete blood count, including white cells, levels of liver enzymes, serum creatinine, and other analytical parameters according to specific risk factors. Treatment should be initiated with a dose of 10-15 mg/m(2)/week. In cases of uveitis or polyarthritis, an initial dose of 15 mg/m(2)/week should be considered. For a better bioavailability and tolerability, it is preferable to administer MTX parenterally if the dose is ≥15 mg/m(2)/week. It is necessary to periodically perform an analytical monitoring of the patient and to assess possible alterations in liver enzymes to make changes if necessary. Combinations with biological agents may be necessary, as well as the concomitant addition of folic or folinic acid.

CONCLUSIONS

This document describes the main recommendations for the appropriate use of MTX in JIA patients, according to scientific evidence and clinical experience.