Correlation of morphological markers of chromosomal instability in fine needle aspiration cytology with grade of breast cancer

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the present study was to investigate morphological markers of chromosomal instability (CI) in relation to cytological grade of breast cancer in fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) specimens.

METHODS

Herein we selected 55 cases of invasive ductal carcinoma diagnosed on FNAC. Representative haematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained smears were chosen to count chromatin bridges, multipolar mitoses per smear, and micronuclei and nuclear budding per 1000 carcinoma cells. The cases were also graded by two independent observers as grade I, II and III. The CI markers were correlated with the grade of breast carcinomas.

RESULTS

Out of 55 carcinomas, nine were grade I, nine grade II and 37 grade III. While none of the grade I carcinomas showed chromosomal bridges, the number per smear was 0.4 (± 0.7) and 3.1 (± 2.5) for grade II and III carcinomas, respectively. No multipolar mitoses were observed in grade I or II carcinomas; the number per smear was 3.7 (±3.0) in grade III carcinomas. The mean number per 1000 malignant cells of micronuclei was 1.2 (±1.7), 3.7 (±2.1) and 12.2 (±5.1) and of nuclear buds was 2.3 (±3.2), 4.7 (±2.1) and 12.4 (±4.7) in grade I, II and III carcinomas, respectively. There was a significant increase in the mean numbers of chromatin bridges, micronuclei and nuclear buds in grade I, II and III carcinomas (anova test; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

This is the first study of four morphological markers of CI in FNAC smears of breast cancer. This study establishes strong correlation of these markers with other criteria for cytological grading.

Estrogen receptor β upregulates FOXO3a and causes induction of apoptosis through PUMA in prostate cancer

Estrogen receptor β (ERβ) is emerging as a critical factor in understanding prostate cancer biology. Although reduced in prostate cancer above Gleason grade 3, ERβ is a potential drug target at the initial stage of the disease. In human prostate cancer cells, we found that ERβ causes apoptosis by increasing the expression of pro-apoptotic factor p53-upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA), independent of p53, but dependent on the forkhead transcription factor class-O family member, FOXO3a. FOXO3a has previously been shown to induce PUMA after growth factor withdrawal and inhibition of the Akt pathway. Surprisingly, the phosphorylation of FOXO3a remained unchanged, while the mRNA and total protein levels of FOXO3a were increased in response to ERβ expression or treatment of PC3, 22Rv1 and LNCaP cells with the ERβ-specific ligands 3β-Adiol (5α-androstane-3β,17β-diol), DPN (diarylpropionitrile) or 8β-VE2 (8-vinylestra-1,3,5 (10)-triene-3,17β-diol). Knockdown of FOXO3a or ERβ expression abolished the increase of PUMA in response to 3β-Adiol in LNCaP and PC3 cells, suggesting that FOXO3a mediates the apoptotic effect of 3β-Adiol-activated ERβ. Moreover, the ventral prostate of ERβ-/- mice had decreased expression of FOXO3a and PUMA compared with the ERβ+/+ mice, indicating a relationship between ERβ and FOXO3a expression. The regulation of FOXO3a by ERβ in normal basal epithelial cells indicates a function of ERβ in cell differentiation and maintenance of cells in a quiescent state. In addition, the expression of ERβ, FOXO3a and PUMA is comparable and higher in benign prostatic hyperplasia than in prostate cancer Gleason grade 4 or higher, where there is substantial loss of ERβ, FOXO3a and PUMA. We conclude that ERβ induces apoptosis of prostate cancer cells by increasing transcription of FOXO3a, leading to an increase of PUMA and subsequent triggering of apoptosis via the intrinsic pathway involving caspase-9. Furthermore, we conclude that ligands specifically activating ERβ could be useful pharmaceuticals in the treatment of prostate cancer.

First Report of Bacterial Leaf Spot Caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. olitorii on Jute Grown for Seed in India

Jute (Corchorus olitorius L.) is the second most important fiber crop after cotton in terms of global production (3). In November 2011, symptoms suggestive of bacterial infection were observed on a seed crop of jute at the CRIJAF research farm, Barrackpore, West Bengal, India. The disease appeared as small, brown, circular spots, usually less than 5 mm in diameter on the leaves and some of the spots were surrounded by a yellow halo. The lesions on the stems were elongated and in some cases were found to girdle the stem. In the later stages of disease, brown sunken spots were found on the green capsules. Disease incidence varied from about 20% to 90% of the total plants in different affected fields at the CRIJAF research farm. Bacterial leaf spot of jute with similar symptoms was reported in 1957 from Sudan (4). Five symptomatic and three asymptomatic leaf samples were collected from different jute fields. Bacterial colonies isolated on nutrient agar medium from infected young leaves were Xanthomonas-like and pale yellow cream in color. Total DNA was extracted from symptomatic as well as asymptomatic leaf samples by using an improved salt concentration and simple sodium acetate CTAB method (2). Single bacterial colonies were transferred to nutrient agar (NA) medium plates and incubated at 28°C for 48 h. Pure colonies from plates were used directly for DNA extraction using the QIAGEN DNeasy Blood and Tissue kit. PCR was carried out with Xanthomonas campestris specific primers NZ8F3/NZ85R3 (1), which generated an amplicon of 530 bp from all the symptomatic leaf samples as well as pure cultures of the isolated bacteria. No amplification was obtained from asymptomatic leaves. The amplicons from the five symptomatic samples collected from the field were sequenced and showed 100% identity with one another, and one sequence (strain JB-CO-13) was deposited in GenBank (Accession No. KC342185). The BLASTn analysis revealed that bacterial strain JB-CO-13 had 100% identity with X. campestris pv. olitorii (EU285213). Nucleotide span and ORF finder (NCBI) analysis indicated the 530-bp PCR amplicon coded part of a gyrase B gene that had 100% identity with a translated gene product (Protein ID: ABX84334). Three leaves of five 1-month-old jute plants (cv. JRO 204) in pot culture were infiltrated each with a separate bacterial strain using suspensions (1 × 10⁵ CFU/ml) in distilled water. The negative control consisted of leaves infiltrated with sterile distilled water. The plants were kept in a greenhouse with mean maximum and minimum temperatures of 28.96 and 21.8°C, respectively. The plants were covered with plastic bags to maintain high relative humidity (>80%). Typical bacterial lesions were recorded on all the inoculated plants after 1 week. No lesions were seen on the negative control. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of bacterial leaf spot on C. olitorius caused by X. campestris pv. olitorii from India. References: (1) J. Adriko et al. Plant Pathol. 61:489, 2012. (2) C. Biswas, et al. Lett. Appl. Microbiol. 56:105, 2013. (3) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Agricultural Commodities: Profiles and Relevant WTO Negotiating Issues. Online: http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/Y4343E/y4343e03.htm , 2003. (4) K. A. Sabet. Ann. Appl. Biol. 45:516, 1957.

A late recurrence of renal cell carcinoma as pancreatic metastases: a rare disease

A man presented with multifocal pancreatic metastases 9 years after nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma. He was managed with oral sunitinib. He had favourable response to treatment with excellent compliance.

Type I interferon receptor deficiency prevents murine Sjogren's syndrome

In Sjögren's Syndrome (SS), inherent glandular defects, autoimmunity, and mononuclear cell infiltration within the salivary glands cause reduced salivation leading to xerostomia. Excessive production of type I interferons (IFN), triggered by environmental and genetic factors, is considered pathogenic in this disorder. However, whether type I IFN production is causative or an outcome of the disease process is not known. To address this question, we introduced a deficiency of interferon alpha receptor 1 (Ifnar1) into B6.Aec1Aec2 mice, which are known to have the genetic loci necessary for developing a SS-like disorder. This new mouse strain, B6.Aec1Aec2Ifnar1 (-/-), lacking type I IFN-mediated signaling, was characterized for pilocarpine-induced salivation, the presence of serum autoantibodies, sialoadenitis, and dacryoadenitis. Compared with the B6.Aec1Aec2Ifnar1 (+/+) (wild-type) mice, the B6.Aec1Aec2Ifnar1 (-/-) (knockout) mice had significantly lower mononuclear cell infiltration in the salivary and lacrimal glands. The knockout mice were completely protected from salivary gland dysfunction. Surprisingly, they had a robust autoantibody response comparable with that of the wild-type mice. These findings demonstrate that, in the absence of type I IFN-mediated signaling, systemic autoantibody responses can be dissociated from glandular pathology. Our study suggests that, in genetically susceptible individuals, the type I IFN pathway can instigate certain features of SS.

A multiplex nested PCR assay for simultaneous detection of Corchorus golden mosaic virus and a phytoplasma in white jute (Corchorus capsularis L.)

A multiplex nested PCR assay was developed by optimizing reaction components and reaction cycling parameters for simultaneous detection of Corchorus golden mosaic virus (CoGMV) and a phytoplasma (Group 16Sr V-C) causing little leaf and bunchy top in white jute (Corchorus capsularis). Three sets of specific primers viz. a CoGMV specific (DNA-A region) primer, a 16S rDNA universal primer pair P1/P7 and nested primer pair R16F2n/R2 for phytoplasmas were used. The concentrations of the PCR components such as primers, MgCl2 , Taq DNA polymerase, dNTPs and PCR conditions including annealing temperature and amplification cycles were examined and optimized. Expected fragments of 1 kb (CoGMV), 674 bp (phytoplasma) and 370 bp (nested R16F2n/R2) were successfully amplified by this multiplex nested PCR system ensuring simultaneous, sensitive and specific detection of the phytoplasma and the virus. The multiplex nested PCR provides a sensitive, rapid and low-cost method for simultaneous detection of jute little leaf phytoplasma and CoGMV. Based on BLASTn analyses, the phytoplasma was found to belong to the Group 16Sr V-C.

Continuously tunable optical multidimensional Fourier-transform spectrometer

A multidimensional optical nonlinear spectrometer (MONSTR) is a robust, ultrastable platform consisting of nested and folded Michelson interferometers that can be actively phase stabilized. The MONSTR provides output pulses for nonlinear excitation of materials and phase-stabilized reference pulses for heterodyne detection of the induced signal. This platform generates a square of identical laser pulses that can be adjusted to have arbitrary time delays between them while maintaining phase stability. This arrangement is ideal for performing coherent optical experiments, such as multidimensional Fourier-transform spectroscopy. The present work reports on overcoming some important limitations on the original design of the MONSTR apparatus. One important advantage of the MONSTR is the fact that it is a closed platform, which provides the high stability. Once the optical alignment is performed, it is desirable to maintain the alignment over long periods of time. The previous design of the MONSTR was limited to a narrow spectral range defined by the optical coating of the beam splitters. In order to achieve tunability over a broad spectral range the internal optics needed to be changed. By using broadband coated and wedged beam splitters and compensator plates, combined with modifications of the beam paths, continuous tunability can be achieved from 520 nm to 1100 nm without changing any optics or performing alignment of the internal components of the MONSTR. Furthermore, in order to achieve continuous tunability in the spectral region between 520 nm and 720 nm, crucially important for studies on numerous biological molecules, a single longitudinal mode laser at 488.5 nm was identified and used as a metrology laser. The shorter wavelength of the metrology laser as compared to the usual HeNe laser has also increased the phase stability of the system. Finally, in order to perform experiments in the reflection geometry, a simple method to achieve active phase stabilization between the signal and the reference beams has been developed.

A simple method of DNA isolation from jute (Corchorus olitorius) seed suitable for PCR-based detection of the pathogen Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid

A simple method was developed for isolating DNA from jute seed, which contains high amounts of mucilage and secondary metabolites, and a PCR protocol was standardized for detecting the seedborne pathogen Macrophomina phaseolina. The cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide method was modified with increased salt concentration and a simple sodium acetate treatment to extract genomic as well as fungal DNA directly from infected jute seed. The Miniprep was evaluated along with five other methods of DNA isolation in terms of yield and quality of DNA and number of PCR positive samples. The Miniprep consistently recovered high amounts of DNA with good spectral qualities at A260/A280. The DNA isolated from jute seed was found suitable for PCR amplification. Macrophomina phaseolina could be detected by PCR from artificially inoculated as well as naturally infected jute seeds. The limit of PCR-based detection of M. phaseolina in jute seed was determined to be 0·62 × 10(-7) CFU g(-1) seed.

Electron-spin motion: a new tool to study ferromagnetic films and surfaces

When electrons are interacting with a ferromagnetic material, their spin-polarization vector is expected to move. This spin motion, comprising an azimuthal precession and a polar rotation about the magnetization direction of the ferromagnet, has been studied in spin-polarized electron scattering experiments both in transmission and reflection geometry. In this review we show that electron-spin motion can be considered as a new tool to study ferromagnetic films and surfaces and we discuss its application to a number of different problems: (a) the transmission of spin-polarized electrons across ferromagnetic films, (b) the influence of spin-dependent gaps in the electronic band structure on the spin motion in reflection geometry, (c) interference experiments with spin-polarized electrons and (d) the influence of lattice relaxations in ferromagnetic films on the spin motion.

Ultimate limit of electron-spin precession upon reflection in ferromagnetic films

We report the discovery of 180° electron-spin precession in spin-polarized electron-reflection experiments on Fe films on Ag(001), the largest possible precession angle in a single electron reflection. Both experiments as a function of Fe film thickness and ab initio calculations show that the appearance of this ultimate spin precession depends with utmost sensitivity on the relaxation of the Fe surface layers during growth. Similar spin precession is also predicted for other ferromagnetic films.

Activation of innate immunity accelerates sialoadenitis in a mouse model for Sjögren's syndrome-like disease

OBJECTIVE

Sjögren's syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by progressive lymphocytic infiltration within the salivary and lacrimal glands. This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of innate immunity activation on sialoadenitis in a mouse strain genetically susceptible for development of SS-like disease.

METHODS

Female New Zealand Black X New Zealand White F1 mice were repeatedly treated with toll-like 3 receptor agonist poly(I:C). Submandibular glands were investigated at different time points for sialoadenitis by immunohistochemistry and for gene expression of different chemokines by quantitative PCR. Submandibular gland-infiltrating cells were characterized by flow cytometry.

RESULTS

Poly(I:C) treatment significantly upregulated the expression of multiple chemokines within the submandibular glands. The severity and incidence of sialoadenitis was considerably higher in poly(I:C)-treated mice. There was a preponderance of dendritic cells and NK cells in the initial inflammatory cell infiltrates, and these were followed by CD4+ T cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data clearly demonstrate that systemic activation of innate immunity accelerates sialoadenitis in a mouse model for SS-like disease. These findings suggest that chronic activation of innate immunity can influence certain features of SS.

A telephone survey of cancer awareness among frontline staff: informing training needs

Background:

Studies have shown limited awareness about cancer risk factors among hospital-based staff. Less is known about general cancer awareness among community frontline National Health Service and social care staff.

Methods:

A cross-sectional computer-assisted telephone survey of 4664 frontline community-based health and social care staff in North West England.

Results:

A total of 671 out of 4664 (14.4%) potentially eligible subjects agreed to take part. Over 92% of staff recognised most warning signs, except an unexplained pain (88.8%, n=596), cough or hoarseness (86.9%, n=583) and a sore that does not heal (77.3%, n=519). The bowel cancer-screening programme was recognised by 61.8% (n=415) of staff. Most staff agreed that smoking and passive smoking ‘increased the chance of getting cancer.’ Fewer agreed about getting sunburnt more than once as a child (78.0%, n=523), being overweight (73.5%, n=493), drinking more than one unit of alcohol per day (50.2%, n=337) or doing less than 30 min of moderate physical exercise five times a week (41.1%, n=276).

Conclusion:

Cancer awareness is generally good among frontline staff, but important gaps exist, which might be improved by targeted education and training and through developing clearer messages about cancer risk factors.